Colours
by Kitty29
Summary: Matthew Williams thinks he is the only different person in his school, until he meets the self proclaimed most awesome man on earth...
1. First Impressions

**Hey everyone! Kitty29 here with a High School AU (I know, I'm sorry, but after reading so many good ones it made me want to write my own). So to make it a _little_ different there is a bit of a twist. What is that twist? Read to find out! –awink-**

**Beta'd by the awesomely awesome **Tainted Tuesday!** So Much Love for correcting my crap spelling/punctuation! –heart-**

**Disclaimer: I. Don't. Own. Hetalia. Got it, get it, good.**

**Enjoy and Review! ^^**

* * *

Matthew Williams walked briskly through the halls of his school, making sure to keep his head low and avoid eye contact. When he woke this morning he told himself today was going to be a normal day. He would go to school, go to the mall with his twin then go back home. Today there would be no incidents, mishaps or breakdowns. Today was going to be normal if it _killed _him.

So far, everything was okay. Well, other than the rush of students that were basically slamming into the poor, unnoticed boy as he tried to exit the school, but that was expected. Today after all was a Friday, and many of the students wanted to get off school property as soon as they possibly could. He would be lying if he said that that wasn't his intention as well.

"MATTIE!"

Matthew had a second to physically brace himself before he was tackled from behind by his brother, Alfred. He surprised himself when he didn't fall over and crash head first into the lockers he was currently facing.

"Ready for the mall?" His twin asked excitedly, breaking the hug before swinging a strong arm over his slant shoulders. Matthew couldn't help but smirk at Alfred's behaviour. Leave it to his brother, the self proclaimed 'hero' of the masses, to be so touchy feely.

"Y-yeah I was just about to go find you actually," Matthew responded, allowing himself to be lead out the door. It wasn't until they were a safe distance from the school that the older of the two retraced his arm and allowed his sibling to walk on his own.

"Hey, by the way…" Alfred lowered his voice and leaned in closer to the other. "What colour am I today?"

Matthew let out a small groan. "Please Alfred, not today." Today was going to be a normal day. Normal. _Normal__._

"Ah c'mon Mattie, just this once I swear!" His brother whined, once again letting his cuddly personally show as he pulled Matthew into a one arm hug. Matthew sighed and threw a short glance in his brother's direction.

"White."

"Oh c'mon! You're not even trying. Everyone's white!" A dark skinned teen gave him a strange look at the statement. Matthew smiled sheepishly at him, Alfred didn't notice. "So really tell me, what colour _am_ I? Just this once, okay? I've been thinking about it all day!"

Matthew sighed. Ever since he could remember he had had the ability to see people's… colours. He didn't know why and he didn't know how he just… could. He found it every strange, it wasn't like his eyes were better than anyone else's. In fact, he was practically _blind _without his glasses. But the matter was… he could. As much as he didn't want to… he saw colours.

When just looking at someone the only thing he could see was a white light. He called this light people's 'life'. Not because it diminished the older someone got—he's seen some very old people with very bright lights—it was brighter because the person was happier and more 'full of life'. Though it wasn't just people's 'life' he could see. If he stared at a person long enough or concentrated he could see their 'colours' as well. He still wasn't completely sure of what the colours meant exactly, but so far he connected it to people's emotions, and for the most part that seemed to be working. For example, if a person was happy their colour would be yellow. Blue was sad, red was angry, and et cetera et cetera.

Matthew tried to avoid looking at people's colours, especially after that time in middle school when he had the bright idea of telling his parents of his 'gift'. They took him to a therapist. Alfred was the only one who believed him and told Matthew that he should become a superhero. Even now Matthew had no idea how that would work, but he tried not to think much about his brother's 'ideas'. Anyways, since then Alfred would sometimes ask about his own colour or the colours of others. Though Matthew thought it was a _little_ annoying, he was glad there was someone he could talk to about it.

"Mattie? Hello, earth to little brother."

Matthew was brought from his thoughts by a pair of snapping fingers in front of his face. He turned a light pink when he saw they were already at the bus stop. Really, did he space out for that long…?

"So anyways, tell me pleeaaaaseee…"

Oh gods, he resorted to whining. Anyone who knew Alfred knew that when he started whining he wouldn't stop until he got his way. Matthew quickly looked around to see if anyone was looking in their direction. There was a group of students a ways away who were too busy laughing to care, and a lone student who was staring in the opposite direction with his headphones on.

"Okay fine." Alfred pumped his fist in the air in a silent victory. "Just… hold still, 'kay?"

Matthew took a step back and finally lifted his head enough to stare right in his brother's eyes. It took a little longer than usual to see his colour emerge since he hadn't done it in a while. He looked away as soon as he confirmed the colour, blushing slightly at the intense moment they just shared.

"Dark yellow-orange."

Alfred made a face at the colour. "Sounds kind of ugly."

"It was kind of pretty."

Alfred grinned and slinked his arm around the other's shoulders. So touchy feely. "Aww, thanks for calling me pretty, bro."

Bromance, it's a beautiful thing.

After a few minutes of joking around and annoying the lone student who was standing close to them, the bus came and they made their way to the wonderful mall of shopping. Nothing exciting happened much to Matthew's delight, they just walked around going into different clothing stores trying to find something they liked. They didn't make much progress, and were only able to find a couple of witty t-shirts and a pair of jeans before they decided to give up. They both knew that their father, Francis, would be somewhat annoyed at them. He was the one who wanted the two to 'spice up' their wardrobe, and had even given them money to do so. They knew that t-shirts and loose fitting jeans weren't what he had in mind.

But the two didn't care. Instead they sat at the food court, laughing about nothing as the older twin swallowed his third?—fifth?—hamburger.

"So Mattie," Alfred started making sure to shallow his food before he spoke. "Anyone at the school you like yet?"

"No… not yet," Matthew replied, his cheeks a light pink at the embarrassing question. "But I hadn't really been looking…you?"

"Nah," Alfred said, waving off the issue like it was nothing. "You know the hero can't have any distractions anyway! What kind of hero would I be if I blew people off for some Joe or Jane?"

Matthew nodded at the answer. There was a brief silence before the Canadian almost choked on the soda he was drinking. "W-wait… _Joe or Jane?_"

"Ah, don't be so uptight, bro!" Alfred laughed punching his brother on the arm lovingly. "We're still young! Who says we have to settle on one sex right now?"

"What selfish thinking amigo!"

The Spanish student sat down at their table, smiling widely. Alfred's eyes lit up at the sight of his friend.

"Antonio! What are you doing here?"

"I just had an urge to get a present for Lovino! He's so adorable!"

The pink-yellow colour that emitted from the Spaniard was so brilliant and obvious that Matthew jumped at its sudden appearance before looking away. Alfred rolled his eyes at his friend, not noticing his brother's discomfort.

"You and Lovino... man, how long have you two been dating this time?"

"It is almost our two week anniversary!" Antonio answered happily, not fazed by the number of times the two have broken up at all. "I am giving it to him today! Do you want to come?"

"Oh yeah! There's a party at the Vargas' house tonight! I am _so _there!"

"But Al, we promised papa we would come back right after we were done shopping."

Antonio jumped at the new voice and turned to the unnoticed third party, "Oh, hello Mateo! I didn't know you were there!"

"Hi Antonio," Matthew greeted back shyly, able to look at him now that his colour had died down. Alfred blinked, clearly having forgotten of his promise he made just the day before.

"Oh right, I did say that didn't I?" He crossed his arms to think for a moment before he turned to his twin. "Mattie." He said this seriously, instantly getting the Canadian's attention. "If I'm allowed to go to this party will you go with me?"

Matthew hesitated. Unlike his brother, he didn't like going to parties. For one thing he was a bit of a wallflower and spent most of the time in another room or the kitchen, away from the loud music and people. Also he didn't like dealing with drunken people. The drunker a person was the more forward they were with their emotions. The more emotional they were, the more brilliant their colours were. The barrage of colours that occurred always gave Matthew a headache. From that point it was routine.

Matthew would drink to try and get the colours to go away. Alfred would find him either throwing up in the bathroom or weeping in a bedroom. Then Matthew would pass out and wake up the next day at home with a hangover and blackmail pictures lovingly taken by his twin. He hated it. He hated that his 'gift', as Alfred called it, drove him to drinking when it got too bad.

But…the way Alfred was giving him those puppy dog eyes. And…they both haven't been to a party in a while…

The blond sighed before nodding. Alfred grinned before he pulled out his cell phone and dialled a number as he talked.

"Okay Mattie! For this to work I need you to use your cuteness!"

Antonio perked up at the word 'cute' now looking at the twins with interest.

"'Cuteness…?' Al, what are you talking abou—" But before he could finish the phone was shoved into his hands.

"No time for thinking Mattie, just talk!"

Matthew blinked before he placed the phone to his ear. "H-hello?"

"…_Mathieu?"_

"P-papa!" He looked at Alfred with slight panic. Just what was he supposed to say? Alfred just smiled and gave him a thumbs up.

"_What is it Mathieu? I'm at work right now."_

"Oh, um, sorry Papa. I didn't mean to interrupt. That is um…," Matthew blushed at he stumbled over his words in a vain attempt organize his thoughts. "I-is it okay if Al and I can go to, um… well we don't have to but…" He was cut off by a faint chuckle.

"_Mathieu, are you asking if you and Alfred can go to that party the Vargas' are holding?"_

Matthew was stunned into silence before nodding slowly. Just how did he know about that? He then realized that nodding didn't make a sound and corrected himself. "I-I mean _oui! _Oui…vous êtes…correct."

There was a pause when Antonio turned to Alfred with a happy go lucky smile. 'Cute!' he mouthed to his American friend who couldn't help but grin proudly. For some strange reason he found having a cute brother a compliment. Matthew hung up the phone and handed it back to his twin, blushing with embarrassment.

"Well?" Alfred inquired, practically hanging off the edge of his seat. Matthew crossed his arms and pouted, clearly having not approved of his brother's plan.

"…As long as we're back by midnight."

Alfred let out a happy squeal, pulling Matthew into a hug.

"I knew you could do it!"

Matthew patted him awkwardly on the back, his blush deepening. Did he really have to be so touchy feely around his friends as well?

"_Maravilloso!" _Antonio cheered, standing up from his seat. "I'm meeting Lovino before the party, are you coming?"

Alfred broke the hug and looked up at his friend. "Yeah! We're done here anyways." He stood and looked down at his brother with a smile. "Let's go!"

The Canadian sighed again before throwing out their trash and following the two. Antonio had driven to the mall that day and so they took his car. The Vargas lived in a rather large pink house a few blocks down from the mall. Matthew had only been there once before, but he recognized it straight away. He had always loved their house; it just seemed to reflect their personalities so well. From its cheery exterior to the rather prickly looking bushes to its decorated door. They were artsy people, and were not afraid to show it.

Alfred bounded up the steps two at a time and readied himself to knock. But before he could do so the door flew open to reveal a happy looking Feliciano. Matthew immediately averted his gaze. The yellow around the Italian was so bright and everlasting that if he looked at it for too long it would start making him feel nauseous.

"Ve~ Alfredo, Matteo, Antonio!" He hugged each person as he said their name. "Come in, come! You're the last ones!"

He turned and skipped away, leaving the others next to no time to remove their shoes and follow after him before he disappeared into one of the many rooms. He led them to the rather large family room where a few of people were sitting around watching soccer on the television. Feliciano, who was the first to come into the room, settled himself on the couch between Ludwig and Kiku.

"Lovino~!" Antonio exclaimed happily, going up to his boyfriend and pulling him into an affectionate hug. The Italian turned a deep red and tried to pry the other off him.

"Get off me you tomato bastard! Ah! Don't make me break up with you again!"

Alfred laughed before making his presence known in the room, "Hey guys!" The others looked up at the loud volume. "The hero has arrived!"

The albino sitting on the floor rolled his eyes before turning back to the screen. The dark haired male bowed at the American.

"Hello Alfred-kun."

"Hey Kiku," Alfred greeted back, walking over and squeezing himself on the couch next to the Asian.

Feeling a little awkward standing in the entryway to the room, Matthew settled on sitting on the floor next to the albino. The silver haired male turned to the Canadian.

"Hey, you're Alfred's brother, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Your brother's a bit of a tool."

Well…that was straight to the point. Matthew blinked, not sure how he should respond. He thought that everyone here were friends. Though looking at them now, the albino seemed to stand out from the rest of the crowd, almost like he didn't really belong with _this_ certain group of companions.

"I guess that would mean you are too. Apple doesn't fall far from the fuckin' tree." He smirked at his wit before taking a swig of beer, absentmindedly flashing his infamous black leather gloves. Matthew blinked again and something clicked in his mind. He had heard of Gilbert Beilschmidt, the self proclaimed 'most awesome person on earth'. He had never spoken to him before, but he did hear stories about his rowdiness and strange obsession with leather gloves.

"You're Ludwig's brother, right?"

"Wrong." Gilbert deadpanned, turning back to the TV. "Ludwig is _my_ brother. Not the other way around. I'm far too awesome to belong to anyone."

Matthew arched an eyebrow at the response. Jeez, what a strange guy…

"Who wants pasta?" Feliciano suddenly exclaimed. Lovino, Ludwig, Kiku and Antonio, who were used to the Italian's random outbursts, simply raised their hands half-heartedly in agreement.

Alfred smiled broadly. "I do! I'm starved!"

Matthew looked at him in disbelief. What happened to those hamburgers he had before he got here?

Feliciano smiled happily at the response before jumping off the couch.

"Okay! I'll make enough for everyone! Matteo!"

"Y-yes?" Feliciano hopped over to where the Canadian was sitting and urged him up.

"I haven't taught _you_ how to make pasta yet!" He looped his arm around Matthew's and dragged him out the room. At the last moment the blond looked back at his brother who only winked and gave him another thumbs up. Some help he was.

"O-oh, but I already know how to make pasta," He protested weakly, trying not to look at the Italian, lest he see that yellow again. His free hand played with the bottom of his sweatshirt nervously. Again, though he had nothing against Feliciano, he just didn't like being alone with someone so… emotionally open.

"Oh but you don't know how to make _my_ pasta!" Feliciano replied surprisingly arrogantly as he pushed open his kitchen's swinging door with his free hand. Matthew looked in awe at the kitchen. At was at least two times the size of his own and three times as shiny and nice, almost as if someone had copied and pasted it directly from a magazine entitled 'Dream Kitchens'. It was definitely the nicest kitchen he had ever seen in anyone's house before.

Feliciano released Matthew and scurried to the stove, where a large pot of water was awaiting. He stretched out like he was getting ready for some kind of marathon before he suddenly started running about the kitchen, speaking merrily of how he made pasta as he worked. Honestly, Matthew found it rather impressive. With how fast the Italian was moving, he was basically a blur. All Matthew could think of doing was to step out of the other's way and try to comprehend what he was talking about.

"—and that's how you boil pasta in the middle of the desert! Huh?" He stopped talking for a moment to look inside a cabinet with a confused expression on his face. There was a pause before he closed that cabinet and went to open another one, a small frown on his face.

"Is something wrong?" Matthew asked as the other began to open up random cabinet doors.

"Nooo…" Feliciano said slowly, his brows furrowed in thought. "…I'll be right back! You watch the pasta, okay?" And before the other could say anything back he ran out of the kitchen, shouting for Lovino.

Matthew stood there for a while in stunned silence before sighing and shaking his head with a smile. Leave it to his brother to befriend the weirdest people. Not sure what else he could do, he walked over to the stove to watch the pasta. After a few moments of silence there was a sudden clink behind him and the Canadian squeaked before turning around. Purple met red as the two stared at each other, both their eyes opened in mild surprise. Matthew looked away first, his face pink.

"I'm sorry." He apologized, not meeting the other's gaze.

"…For what, Blondie?" Gilbert closed the fridge door with his elbow, twisting the top off his beer. "Unless you're apologizing for that rather girly squeak you just d—"

"I never got your name," Matthew interrupted, quickly changing the subject before his blush could get any deeper. Really, what was with this guy? Suddenly appearing out of nowhere like a freakin' ninja. The older male paused mid drink and stared at the other incredulously.

"How could you not know the awesome _me__!_" He insisted, slamming his drink down on the island and stomping up to the other. Matthew, surprised, stepped back until his back hit the kitchen counter. "I'm only the awesomest, most handsome guy in school!" He slammed his hands down on the counter behind the other, efficiently trapping the Canadian. Matthew blushed furiously under the other's intense, unwavering glare. They were so close that their noses were but inches apart. There was silence as the staring continued and Matthew began to shiver under his gaze. Just why was this guy so weird? And what was he trying to do?

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the elder of the two smirked, a sparkle of amusement in his eye.

"You know…" He cooed, leaning in closer to the other, making Matthew lean back until he was practically sitting on top of the counter. "…You're kind of cute."

Matthew's blush only deepened at the comment and he frantically looked for a way to get away from him. The albino chuckled before he took a couple of steps back and retracted his hands, allowing the other his freedom back. Matthew let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, looking warily at the other. Just what the heck was his deal? The older male chuckled again, tugging off the leather glove on his right hand.

"Gilbert." Matthew looked at him in confusion as he held his un-gloved hand out towards him. "My name. Even though you should already know of the awesome me, I'll forgive you this time, babe."

Matthew looked from his outstretched hand to Gilbert's cocky smirk, trying to figure out just what the other was trying to do. This guy probably had some kind of ulterior motive for the friendly handshake. Why else would he take off one of his famous gloves?

...Maybe he was thinking about it too hard. Yes, the guy was...different, but that's no reason to think that he was going to cause him any harm. So, hesitantly, he shook the offered hand.

"Hello Gilbert." He greeted, still watching the other cautiously. "I'm Matth—"

Suddenly his body felt numb and his vision turned white. The last thing he could remember was Gilbert's surprised shout before everything went blank.

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**Translations:  
Amigo – Spanish for friend  
Oui…vous êtes – French for yes…you are  
Maravilloso – Spanish for Wonderful (Thank you **ForeverTheHeroAndKing** for th****e** Spanish corrction. Cuss you Dora the explorer for teaching m wrong!)  


**Well this concludes the first chapter of Colours! I'm so used to writing them as countries I kept on writing Matthew as Canada, haha. Honest mistake really.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it and please review!**


	2. Found Out

**Hey guys! Kitty29 back with the second chapter of Colours!**

**Thank you everyone who reviewed, fav'd and alerted this story! I didn't think it would get so much good feedback in such a short amount of time! Thanks a lot for that! It made my day. (btw, Jou-pup, pretty close, lolz)**

**Beta'd by the amazing talented **Tainted Tuesday** who puts up of all my spelling phails.**

**Oh yes, also, if people wanna shout random power ideas at me that would be awesome (it's hard all by yourself). For this story I'm watering down the super fantastical powers, like the power of flight becoming floating, so please don't suggest things like 'exploding things with his mind' cause that would just be a little too outrageous for this story.  
Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own that shiz-it.**

**Enjoy and review! ^^**

* * *

"-attie! MATTIE!"

Matthew instantly regretted opening his eyes. As soon as he did extreme doziness swept over him and the simple act of keeping his eyes open became difficult. A sudden weight on his stomach earned a groan.

"Mattie! You're alive! I'm sorry I didn't protect you from that _freak_! Are you okay? You don't have amnesia do you? Please God don't let him have amnesia! What's my name Mattie? _Please remember my name!"_

"Alfred." Matthew complied. Alfred released Matthew from his hug and threw his hands in the air.

"_Thank God!"_

"Calm down you American idiot!" An angry voice snapped. "It's not that big a deal!"

…Who the heck was that? Matthew, now realizing that he was lying on a couch, pushed himself into a sitting position and looked around. He was back in the family room with the other visitors surrounding him with worried expressions. He sunk into the couch a little, feeling awkward that he was the centre of attention. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." Though Ludwig meant for it to be comforting, it sounded more like a demand. "My brother can be a little overwhelming at times."

"B-but Gilbert didn't do anything I—"

"He didn't touch you did he?"

"Eh? No! I—" Something clicked in the Canadian's head and he turned to Feliciano with a panicked look on his face. "Wait! I-I'm sorry! What about the pasta? Did it turn out okay?"

The room grew silent as they all stared at Matthew with disbelief. The guy had just passed out and the first thing he does when he wakes up is apologize and ask about the pasta he was suppose to be watching? The silence was broken by a sharp laughter from outside the room.

"Oh man, this kid is just too rich!" The smirking face of Gilbert poked into the room. "Can I come in now? I'll be a good boy, I swear."

"You stay away from Mattie!" Alfred yelled, stepping in front of his brother protectively.

"Are you sure you're okay, Mateo?" Antonio placed the back of his hand on Matthew's forehead, making the other jump at the sudden contact. "You're a little warm…"

Matthew felt his own forehead after the Spaniard retraced his hand. He was warmer than usual. He also felt a little dizzy and his head was hurting.

… …

He really just wanted sleep. He tugged on his brother's shirt to get his attention. "Al, can we go home?" He said it barely above a whisper, not wanting the others to hear it in case it offended them in some way.

Alfred paused and turned to his brother. A part of him wanted to stay just so he could yell at the albino freak who had dared touch his twin, but that part quickly faded when he saw Matthew's tired eyes. He looked like he was using all the energy he had left to stay awake and it made him seem very vulnerable and small. Alfred turned and scooped the Canadian into his arms hoisting him up bridal style.

"I'm gonna take Mattie home," He announced. "Don't think I'll be able to make it to the party tonight, but next time for sure!" He flashed his large smile at the Italian brothers. Feliciano smiled back warmly while Lovino scoffed and looked elsewhere.

"You're welcome back anytime Alfredo! Make sure Matteo is okay."

"I'll drive you home," Antonio offered, grabbing Lovino's hand and dragging him along. Lovino made a bit of a fuss, but followed his boyfriend and the twins out the room. Gilbert stepped out of their way as they passed and held up his hands defensively as Alfred shot him a dangerous glare.

Matthew looked over Alfred's shoulder and watched the retreating figure of Gilbert groggily. Though everything was a little hazy due to his tired state, he still managed to catch the Prussian's mouthed words.

'Bye, Birdie.'

/ / / \ \ \

Matthew had fallen asleep on the ride back to his house and woke up mid afternoon Saturday, nearly twenty hours later. It was possibly the longest he had ever slept in his life, but when he awoke he felt completely energized. He, after hearing about the incident from Alfred, was very embarrassed that he had fainted and called Feliciano to apologize for being a burden and Ludwig to thank him—for he was the one that carried him from the kitchen to the family room.

He was still confused as to why he had fainted in the first place. The doctor had said it may have been due to stress but Matthew didn't believe that. He wanted to ask Gilbert about it, since he was the only other person there when it had happened, but he knew talking to the Prussian would upset Alfred, and the last thing he wanted was his brother whining and hanging off him the rest of the day. So he decided to put the incident behind him and instead focus on the essay and presentation that needed to be done by Monday. Alfred had been sent up by their parents to watch other him and make sure he was okay. Matthew really didn't mind his presence much, although…

"What colour am I now?"

"Still grey, Alfred."

"You didn't even look that time."

"I don't have to. I know it's the same from when I checked three minutes ago."

"C'mon! Just check!"

Matthew sighed before looking up from his laptop. "Still grey, Alfred."

His American brother groaned and flipped back down on the bed, tossing a baseball in the air and catching it. He was bored, that was painfully obvious to both brothers but Matthew had to focus on his essay and Alfred had to watch over Matthew and make sure he didn't die. In short, they were both stuck. A couple minutes of silence went by before Alfred spoke again.

"What colour am I now?"

"_Alfred." _Matthew quickly saved his work and turned to his twin, exasperated. "You don't have to be here if you don't want to."

"Yeah I do, or dad will ground me again."

Matthew wanted to deny it, but their other father, Arthur, did seem to ground Alfred for the simplest of reasons. "Well, you can play a game or watch a movie or something." Matthew suggested before turning back to his laptop. "I just really have to get this done."

Alfred pouted angrily, halting the catching of his ball to think. "…I'm gonna get something to eat." He then jumped off the bed and walked out of the room before the Canadian could react.

Matthew sighed and leaned against his chair, running a hand through his hair. Maybe he should follow his brother and get a snack himself. He had been working for nearly three hours straight; he could use a little break. He was about to get up when a soft ding came from his computer. Someone wanted to add him to MSN. He blinked, turning his attention back to his laptop to see who it was.

_TheAwesomeMe_

He had to laugh at the predicable hotmail account, knowing instantly who it was. He wondered just how the other had gotten his email but didn't think much of it before accepting the invitation. He would probably ask him about that later, but for now he would have a small break with his brother and eat.

_Bing!_

_Bing!_

_Bing!_

Surprised, Matthew turned back to his laptop to find Gilbert already sending him messages.

_Pure Awesomeness says:_

_hey birdie!_

_u thur?_

_The Awesome me is talking 2 u!_

Matthew paused, wondering on whether he should reply to the messages now or get to it later. He shrugged before settling back in his chair and typing up his response. The other seemed rather determined to talk to him, for one reason or another.

_~Canadianplz~ says:_

_Hi Gilbert_

_Pure Awesomeness says:_

_good 2 know u remember the awesomeness that is myself!_

Matthew rolled his eyes. This guy really toots his horn way too much.

_Pure Awesomeness says:_

_anyways_

_meet me monday at lunch at the back of the school_

_~Canadianplz~ says:_

_Why?_

_Pure Awesomeness says:_

'_cause I got sumthing 2 tell u_

_itll b awesome really_

_im not gonna rape u like ur brother probably thinks I swear_

Matthew flinched at the last line. The sad thing was his brother would probably think that…

_Pure Awesomeness says:_

_so u coming?_

_~Canadianplz~ says:_

_Okay. I'll be there._

_Pure Awesomeness says:_

_Sweetcakes!_

_Ill c u thur birdie!_

_Wear something nice, lolz_

_-Pure Awesomeness is now offline-_

Matthew blinked, rereading the rather random conversation. Really, what a weird guy, and why the heck did he call him Birdie?

Though he supposed he should listen to whatever he had to say, especially if it was about that fainting episode back at the Vargas' household. He had lost consciousness just after he touched Gilbert. It seemed rather strange to think but maybe they were connected…?

"Who are you talking to?"

Matthew jumped and closed the window the conversation was on, swinging around in his chair to face Alfred, who was leaning against the door frame with a sandwich in hand.

"N-no one!" Matthew yelled suspiciously, causing Alfred to arch an eyebrow in his direction. Though he shrugged it off and went back to Matthew's bed, flopping down on it before taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Whatever, just finish your essay you lazy slacker."

Matthew rolled his eyes before continuing to work, pushing all matters having to do with Gilbert to the back of his mind.

/ / / \ \ \

The weekend quickly passed without much excitement. Matthew got his homework done, even with his brother constantly bugging him, but that was basically it. He sat in his second period class glancing at the clock every so often. He was feeling more and more nervous as the seconds ticked by. It was almost lunch time and he still remembered the message that Gilbert had sent him. He intended to meet him; whatever the Prussian wanted to tell him had him curious.

The sharp ringing of the bell symbolized the start of lunch, and for once the Canadian was the first out the door. He cussed that his classroom was on the other side of the school from the meeting place, meaning he had to shove his way through the numerous hallways of sweaty teens to get there. Whatever Gilbert wanted had better be good.

"Mattie!"

Matthew mentally cussed when he felt the familiar arms of Alfred wrap around him, quite effectively stopping him in his place. He had hoped he could get to Gilbert without running into his brother.

"Listen, apparently Kiku's brother transferred to this school today! He's not from Japan, but some other random Asian country, ah it doesn't matter! Let's go meet him!" And with that Alfred dragged his twin into the crowded cafeteria. Kiku noticed the two approaching and bowed politely.

"Hello Alfred-kun, Matthew-kun," He greeted pleasantly.

Matthew bowed back. "H-hello Ki—"

"Hey Kiku!" Alfred's loud voice easily overpowered Matthew's. "We heard 'bout the other Asian coming today!" He paused to look about excitedly. "…So where is he?"

Kiku opened his mouth to answer, but seemed to rethink it as he glanced about as well. "I'm not sure." He finally answered. "He was just here a moment ag—"

"AMERICAN BREASTS!"

Half the cafeteria turned in time to witness their American hero (AKA Alfred) be molested from behind by a strange looking Asian boy. The Asian cupped his hands around Alfred's breasts and gave them a pleasant squeeze, earning a fairly girly squeal of surprise. Alfred immediately jumped out of the other's reach and turned to glare at him. His face was a bright red and his arms crossed over his chest protectively.

"Wha-_what the hell was that?"_

Matthew looked away so that his brother wouldn't catch him laughing along with some of the people who had witnessed the event. It was a little awkward that he knew this, but Alfred had always had a rather sensitive chest. Matthew often made fun of him for having the chest of a premature teenage girl.

"I-Im Yong Soo!" The Korean looked at Kiku, who was blushing in embarrassment. "You need to behave yourself!"

"Sorry Kiku!" The young male didn't sound sorry at all. "I just had to see if American breasts were better than Asian breasts!" He flung his hands up in the air, his baggy grey-blue hoodie bouncing at the movement. "And they are! Aren't you surprised?"

In the commotion Matthew found himself being pushed aside by some other students curious as to what was going on. Noticing that no one was paying attention to him he decided to slip out of the cafeteria. Though he was a little curious as to how the situation would play out, he was sure his brother would complain about it when they got home.

A few minutes later the Canadian found himself pushing open the doors at the back of the school, searching for the albino who had obtained his interest. There were a couple of students who were lazing about on the small grassy area, but Gilbert wasn't among them. Matthew frowned. Maybe he was simply too late, and the other had gotten bored and left…

"Hey Birdie." Gilbert seemed to step out of nowhere in front of the Canadian, who jumped at his sudden appearance.

"Oh! Gilbert, h-hi." Matthew greeted back, feeling a little nervous under the others mischievous grin. "You, um, wanted to tell me something?"

Gilbert's grin grew. "You bet I do, but first let me see your palm."

Matthew seemed to grow a little defensive of his hands at the request. "Eh? Why?"

"'Cause I'm into all into that palm reading crap, just let me see it, the right one." He held out his own hand to the other and Matthew noticed that he was, once again, gloveless. He guessed that the stories he heard about the other weren't very accurate.

Matthew raised his hand for the other to take but hesitated. This scenario seemed a little too familiar for his liking. As ridiculous as it sounded, he had a feeling the reason he had fainted before had something to do with him and Gilbert touching. He retraced his hand a little, suddenly wary of the other. Gilbert rolled his eyes before he grabbed hold of his hand. Matthew stiffened, bracing himself for…something. But something never happened.

"Let's see if I can remember this…" Gilbert's other hand hovered over Matthew's palm before he traced a finger among one its ceases. "Okay, so this one's for life or something…pretty long." He seemed to mumble to himself rather than Matthew, his brows furrowed in thought. "And this line means that—" He abruptly stopped and stared down at the other's hand, a grin breaking out across his face. "Well, this is interesting."

Matthew looked down at his palm as well. "What is?"

"You see people's colours, don't you?"

Matthew froze, his blood running cold. Just…how...how could someone he had just met two days ago know the secret he had kept his whole life?

"I-I'm sorry?" He decided to play it dumb, forcing a smile on his face to try and hide his horror. Maybe he had just heard him wrong; maybe he was just being the jokester the stories made him out to be.

"You see people's colours," Gilbert repeated slowly and Matthew swore his heart stopped. "You see the emotions of people in colours, huh?" He laughed a sound that seemed cruel to the Canadian. "That's a new one."

Matthew stared at the other in shock, a lump forming in his throat. All those years, all these years of making sure he wasn't noticed, making sure he was just a background noise, of not meeting people's eyes and sitting in the back of the class, all so that no one would figure out how different he was. Was that all really for nothing? Was he now going be treated like the freak he was, just because of this…weirdo, this…this…

Matthew's hand curled into a fist and, in a moment of anger and desperation, punched Gilbert right in the face.

* * *

**Translation:  
Bruder – German for brother**

**American breasts! *grope*  
Korea pleases me greatly .-.**

**Anyways, next chapter Gilbert's power will be fully explained, and no, it's not the power of palm reading, though that would be awesome.**

**OMG that MSN logo killed me on the inside. I'm one of those people who writes in full sentences while online, so I had to write Gilbert's replies in full sentences then convert them. I'm such a nerd xD**

**Hope you enjoyed it and please review! ^^**


	3. Others?

**Hey guys! Kitty29 here, updating the third chapter of Colours on my birthday! That's right! I'm freakin' 18! I'm legal! I'm so going to buy...corn.**

**Again, Beta'd by **Tainted Tuesday** who is slowly but surely making me a better writer. So Thank you!**

**To **Jou-Pup**: My god Hands Off! I loved that manga! That guy was my favourite character, but I cannot see Matthew seeing his powers to pick up girls. Though that would be rather amusing to watch xD**

**Anyways, _thank _you _everyone_ who shouted out random power ideas. Subtitle: No one suggested anything-sadface- Oh well, the request is still up, anyone who wants to yell a random power, go for it! I have a lot of them thought up myself but I would love to hear your suggestions!  
Thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned it, but then again everyone would bug me to draw/write more stuff everyday, and that would be a little...I'll stick to fanfiction .-.**

**Please Enjoy!  
**

* * *

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm _so sorry!"_

Matthew held the bag of ice on the albino's injured eye, spewing apologies at the other at an alarming speed. Gilbert scowled as he pushed the Canadian away from him and held up the ice for himself.

The Prussian was lucky there were students who decided to spend their lunch outside and that they managed to pry the angered Canadian off him before he could do some real damage. After realizing what he did Matthew immediately dragged a protesting Gilbert to the nurse's office, where the nurse slapped an ice bag to Gilbert's eye with a smirk—apparently he had quite the reputation among the staff members as well—before she went to phone the vice-principal. She had originally intended to send Matthew to the office while she treated Gilbert though the blond proved to be surprisingly stubborn, despite his cute outward appearance.

"I'm sorry, I really am! I-I don't know what came over me I-I just—"

Matthew was cut off by sharp laughter filling the small room. Bewildered, the blond found Gilbert laughing, his hand covering his face in disbelief. "You really are…too much, kid." He gasped between laughs. "I was holding…I was holding your freakin' hand…and I _still_ didn't see that coming…"

Gilbert then continued his maniacal laughter, making Matthew increasingly uncomfortable. He found himself glancing at the door, fearing that the other might attack him back. Eventually, Gilbert managed to calm himself down, though he still had a goofy looking smile on his face.

"I guess it's not funny unless you know one of my own little secrets."

Matthew looked up at him, his violet eyes blinking in confusion. "Secret?"

"Yeah, the reason I called you in the first place. I was about to tell you, but then you kind of _punched me in the eye."_

Matthew flinched at the statement, guilt rising in his chest. He hesitantly reached over and pulled the ice pack away from Gilbert's face so he could see the damage. There was a bit of swelling just under the Prussian's left eye that was slowly turning purple. Matthew bit his lip and looked away from the other. "I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing, it'll be taken care of."

Again Matthew had to look up in confusion. 'Taken care of…?' Just what was he talking about?

Gilbert chuckled at the other's confusion before he placed the ice pack back on his eye. He supposed it was about time he explained some things to the clearly oblivious teen. "I'm not the greatest with words, so bear with me here."

Matthew paused before nodding slowly.

Gilbert leaned towards the Canadian, his face turning serious as he spoke. "I have an ability too."

Matthew blinked. Once, twice, three times as he slowly began to comprehend what the other had just said. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it when he couldn't think of anything to say. He tried again, though with the same result. Gilbert couldn't help but chuckle at his attempts which seemed to startle the blond out of whatever state he was in.

"I-I…you…you…can see colours, too?"

"No." Gilbert deadpanned and Matthew's shoulders sagged a bit. Just when he thought he found someone who was like him… he must have sounded like an idiot.

"I can obtain people's personal info." The albino wiggled his fingers with his free hand, his smirk back on his face. "Through contact."

… …

Again Matthew found himself gaping, but quickly caught himself. "I-I…what?"

Gilbert frowned and slumped into the chair he was sitting on. "You don't believe me." He stated. "God, for someone who can see emotions in colours you're pretty closed minded."

Spot on.

"No-no, it's no-not that I j-just, um…"

"How else would I know your favourite colour is red?"

Matthew made a face at the rather low example. Anyone who bothered to look at him could tell that his favourite colour was red. "Er…"

"Or that you're mad at your dad 'cause he bought fake maple syrup instead of the real shit this morning?"

That caused Matthew to double take. Though it was still possible that his brother told him about that…

"Or that you're worried about getting marks off for that typo in your history essay you handed in first period?"

If Matthew didn't also have a power of his own, he would have thought that the other was simply stalking him. But Gilbert had to have a power to be able to know about that, he didn't tell anyone about it. He hung his head, a little ashamed that he was so quick to doubt the other.

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you before."

Gilbert simply shook his head, not fazed that Matthew hadn't believed him at first. He looked at the clock before he stood, setting the icepack down on a small table beside him. "Let's go."

Matthew looked at Gilbert in shock when he realized he didn't mean go back to class. "Eh? Go? But…but we still have school left!"

"So?" Gilbert shrugged. "It's either come with me, the guy who can answer the questions you probably have had your whole little life or you can get bitched out by the vice." His smirk grew and he stared down at the other with amusement. "It's your choice."

Matthew faltered. He wasn't the complete goody two shoes that everyone seemed to think he was he had skipped class before. However, those were always on days where he was sure he wasn't missing much, and could easily get caught up the next day or, of course, on days where he wasn't about to get in trouble with the vice principal. If he were to disappear now he would probably be in even more trouble later on.

Gilbert moved to stand in front of the door, turning back to look at the blond again. "You're lucky I'm even letting you be in my awesome presence, especially since you _punched me in the eye."_

Again, Matthew flinched at his words. "I-I sor—"

"I didn't expect you to hit so hard, kid, it still hurts." Gilbert said in a mock pathetic tone, holding his hand over his eye dramatically.

"B-but what about the nur—"

"My awesome face is ruined! What will my fans think?"

"Fa…fans…?"

"Oh the pain. I feel pain because you _punched me in the eye._"

"Okay!" Matthew stood and followed the male, the guilt he was feeling now mixed with annoyance. There were probably students who had done worse things than skip out on a lecture from the vice, he was sure of it. "I'll go with you if it will make you forget about this."

Gilbert instantly dropped his pained façade when he saw the other trot up to him and his usual smirk returned. "Alright kid, let's go." He grabbed onto Matthew's wrist and pulled him out of the nurse's office and down the hallway. Matthew blushed at the sudden contact before he realized that the other was still gloveless, meaning that he was still learning things about him. His face grew a little redder and he wiggled his wrist out of Gilbert's grasp, choosing to fast walk beside him instead.

Gilbert turned to Matthew, about to question why he was suddenly so moody when he glanced down at his hands and recalled how bare they were. A small chuckle escaped his lips as he reached into his jacket and pulled out his leather gloves. "You learn quick, Birdie." He joked, slipping a glove on one hand but for some reason stuffing the other back into his pocket. Matthew raised an eyebrow at this but decided not to question it as he pushed the doors open to head outside and into the parking lot. The spring breeze was the first thing the two were greeted with and Gilbert cussed softly in German before muttering something under his breath. Apparently he wasn't a big fan of the cold.

"That's the Awesome Mobile over there," Gilbert nodded over to his car while his used his hands to hug his jacket closer to him. Matthew looked over and cringed at the vehicle. To say that the car was unimpressive would be an understatement.

It was a small, shabby looking vechile that looked like it could just fit four people, if they all squeezed inside. It seemed like it once sported a brilliant yellow, but the paint was so worn down it became a sickly looking dark mustard yellow-gray hue. The paint was flanking off in random spots and there was a long scratch on its side where it was once obviously keyed. Also the fact that it looked like it was about to keel over at any time did not help with its overall charm.

Gilbert strode over to the driver's side quite confidently, opening the door and slipping inside. Matthew hesitated, wondering if he should climb into a car that looked like it would blow up if someone were to poke it in the right spot. But then he remembered he didn't really have a choice, if he was to ever figure out this whole 'seeing colours' thing. Plus he supposed he owed Gilbert, with him…punching him in the eye and everything. A light sigh escaped him as he reluctantly opened the door and stepped into the passenger's side. He guessed he just had to look on the bright side; it wasn't like this was the worst thing he was ever forced into. Oh yes, Alfred could be bad when—

"Don't look so down, Birdie." Gilbert interrupted, putting his keys in the ignition and starting his car. Matthew shivered when the engine sounded like a dog being drowned as it came to life, and the blond mournfully thought that this would be his last car ride ever.

"How can you feel so down when the awesome Gilbert Beilschmidt is right beside you?" He chuckled before pulling out of the parking lot and driving away.

Matthew turned to look back at the school, dread rising in his chest. He was starting to regret his decision; right now he would rather be sitting in the vice principal's office than sitting in the Prussian's death mobile. He flinched when he heard the engine let out what sounded like a cough before pulling his knees up to his chest and hugging them close to his body. He suddenly wished he had his stuffed polar bear, Kumajirou with him. It was kind of embarrassing that he was still so attached to a stuffed animal in high school but holding it always left him feeling a little bit better.

Gilbert glanced over at his rather uncomfortable looking guest with a small frown. Mmm… maybe kidnapping the other wasn't the best way to get on his good side. "It's about third period, right?" Gilbert asked, breaking through the heavy silence.

Matthew looked at the clock to confirm the other's question. Third period…what was he missing, math? Thankfully they weren't doing much, probably just taking a note and answering some textbook questions. "Yeah, it's about third period…" The blond answered, his voice coming out softer than he meant it to be.

Gilbert simply nodded, feeling awkward. He suddenly really did feel like he was kidnapping the other instead of going to help him learn about his ability. What the heck was that about? "Good, Vargas has a spare this period."

Matthew turned to the other upon hearing their destination. "Vargas? We're going to the Vargas' house?"

"Yep."

"Why?"

"It's a secret," Gilbert responded, his smile back in full force. Matthew stared at the older male for a bit, studying his face to see if he could get any clue of his intentions. Of course he didn't but as he stared he realized with a small start…

He wanted to know what Gilbert's colour was.

He quickly turned to look out the window now a bit disgusted with himself. He couldn't even remember the last time he had wanted to know what someone's colour was. He felt that looking at people's colours was like invading their privacy. He didn't have the right to just stare into their life like they were some kind of zoo animal on display. A soft groan escaped his lips as he placed his forehead on the cool window. 'It's not my place…' he reminded himself, pushing any thoughts of his ability to the back of his head.

The rest of the car ride was spent in silence, although Gilbert tried to coax the other into a conversation, Matthew was not willing to comply. Gilbert parked his pathetic car in front of the pink house and cut the engine, earning a sigh of relief from the vehicle. The two exited the car and walked up to the front door, where he rang the doorbell. There was a small pause before the door was slowly opened by a tired looking Feliciano. It looked like he had just woken from a nap and Matthew felt bad for interrupting him. He opened his mouth to apologize when a sudden sea green snapped into his vision.

"Gil! What happened to your eye? Are you okay? Does it hurt?"

Matthew turned away from the emotional teen as he fussed around the Prussian, his colours a bit too brilliant for him. Gilbert seemed to enjoy the attention and he laughed at the other's worry. "Do you really think a little injury can hurt the awesomeness that is myself?" He asked proudly, laughing again to show how absurd the concept seemed. "But, you know." He leaned closer to the Italian who focused fully on the other. "I could use a little..." He vaguely gestured to his eye "…_Help."_

Feliciano blinked before getting just what the other was implying. "Right!" He exclaimed, grabbing Gilbert's gloved hand into his own. "I can do tha—" He froze when he noticed the Canadian was also with them and blinked at his presence.

Matthew shifted from foot to foot awkwardly as Feliciano continued to stare at him with wide eyes, which seemed to resemble a deer in headlights. A few awkward moments rolled by before Gilbert cleared his throat to get the Italian's attention.

"I brought the little Birdie with me."

Matthew would have preferred if the other actually used his name but he brushed it off before bowing politely to the auburn haired male (when in doubt, use Kiku's politeness). "Hello Feliciano. I'm sorry if I was a burden the last time I was here."

Though Feliciano didn't look like he was paying attention to the blond, rather he was looked between the two with a bewildered expression on his face before resting his questioning eyes onto Gilbert. Gilbert smiled at the Italian before nodding his head, obviously answering yes to whatever question the shorter male had silently asked. Before Matthew could understand what was going on his vision turned yellow as Feliciano leaped at him and pulled him into a hug. Startled, Matthew pushed the Italian away from him and took a few steps back, his heart pounding.

Feliciano's face fell at the rejection and the yellow around him disappeared. "Ve~ I'm sorry, I was just so excited."

Excited about what? Gilbert cut off Matthew before he could ask. "Ah, Feli? My eye?"

"Oh! Right, right!"

And before either of them could protest, Feliciano pulled the two of them into his house and closed the door behind them. They quickly took off their shoes and allowed the Italian who led them to his family room. "I'll be right back!" Feliciano announced before hurrying from the room and leaving the two alone yet again.

Gilbert flopped himself down on one of the couches, wasting no time in making himself comfortable. Matthew, however, chose to stand, anxiety mixed with annoyance coursing through his body. Why did it seem that everyone knew more about himself than he did?

"Gilbert." The albino looked up at his name. "What's going o—"

"Hide behind the couch."

The strange request caused Matthew to stare warily at the male. "Hide behind the…? Why would I do that? Who am I hiding from?"

"You're not hiding from anyone, kid." Gilbert answered, sounding a little annoyed that Matthew didn't just do what he was told no questions asked. "It makes things easier to explain. Even though I'm the most awesome person to ever grace this Earth, I'm not that good with words. So instead," he lazily rolled over his red eyes to meet with Matthew's. "I want to show you."

Matthew didn't know why, but the way the other had said those last words left him unbelievably curious. For some...very strange reason. Really why was he so easily swayed? He slowly nodded. "…Okay." He said softly before he went behind the couch adjacent to Gilbert and crouched down behind it. There were a few moments of silence before a new voice was heard.

"Oh, it's _you._ What the hell's wrong with your eye?"

Poking his head out from behind the couch Matthew saw Lovino standing in the room along with Feliciano and Gilbert, the latter now standing with his back to the Canadian.

"I got in a fight. It was awesome, you should have been there."

Lovino scoffed, crossing his arms and frowning at the other. "Tch, judging from your eye it looks like you lost."

"I did way better than you would have done."

Lovino looked like he took great offence to that comment and he scowled, his face turning red. "I-I…! I'll kick your ass!"

"Lovino! Stop it! Can't you see Gilbert's injured?" Feliciano interrupted, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder to stop him from actually acting on his words. Lovino scoffed again, turning away from the albino.

"…What do you want?"

"Your ability."

Matthew perked up at the word and he looked at Lovino in a new light. So he had an ability too? Just how many were there?

"Why should I help you?"

Gilbert laughed, like he was waiting for the other to ask him that question. "'Cause if you don't I might just tell Antonio what happened when he went Spain for three weeks."

Lovino stuttered, his face turning a bright red as he glared angrily at the other male. "Are…are you blackmailing me?"

"I don't know. My eye isn't getting any better."

There was silence as Lovino continued to stare Gilbert down, his angry expression slowly turning into a pout as the seconds ticked by. Finally, Lovino sighed and turned away from the albino yet again, his face glowing. "Fine, sit down."

Gilbert complied, sitting back down on the couch, his left injured eye clearly in Matthew's view. Lovino released an angry sigh through his nose before he knelled in front of the silver haired man. "Don't move bird bastard." He hissed before he reluctantly placed a hand over Gilbert's eye. He then closed his eyes and went still, the air in the room growing eerie. Matthew noticed Feliciano begin to twiddle his hands nervously, an intent eye on his brother.

After a few moments of silence, Lovino opened his eyes, looking a little more tired than he did just moments before. He retracted his hand from Gilbert's face and Matthew had to cover his mouth to surpass his cry of surprise.

The bruise the albino once sported had completely vanished.

Lovino slowly stood and allowed his twin to help hold him up as he glared at the male he just helped.

"There! Cazzo vai via stronzo..."

"Lovino!"

Gilbert smirked before he turned his now uninjured face to the hidden Canadian. "See Birdie, you're not the only freak out there."

Matthew froze when he was directly addressed and Lovino turned to where the other was looking with a shocked expression on his face. "Wha—Argh! Show yourself!"

Matthew flinched at the angry tone though he slowly emerged from behind the couch, not wanting the Italian to grow even angrier. "I'm…I'm sorry!" He quickly apologized and Lovino's face softened as he recognized just who it was.

"I know yo—HEY!"

Gilbert swiftly cut their conversation short when he suddenly grabbed Lovino's wrist and dragged him over to where Matthew was. Feliciano called out to the Prussian with concern in his voice, "Wait Gilbert! What are yo—?"

"Better get it over with now than later!" He said back vaguely before he also grabbed onto Matthew's thin wrist with his free hand.

"W-wait!" Matthew yelled as he was yanked closer to the angry Italian. "Get what over wi—" Gilbert forced Matthew and Lovino's hands together and that was the last thing the Canadian could remember before he once again lost consciousness.

… …

… …

"—ly more confused than before!"

"This isn't the first time I've explained shit, I know what I'm doing!"

Matthew quickly opened his eyes and sat up, embarrassed that he fainted once again. Gilbert looked at him from the end of the couch, his previous expression of anger now a forced smile.

"Welcome back." He greeted, and Matthew simply nodded back dumbly. The events of the past hour or so had rushed back to him, and with them, multiple questions.

"Why did I pass out? Was it because I touched Lovino? I-is that the reason why last time whe—"

He was silenced by a leather clad finger pushing against his lips. Gilbert held a serious look on his face as he spoke, his words slow and clear.

"Calm down and I'll explain everything."

* * *

**Translation:**  
******Cazzo vai via stronzo - Italian for 'Fucking asshole, go away.' (Thank you **wo-xi-huan-ni** for the translation correction!)**  


**Haha, I had you thinking that it was Feliciano who had the ability at first didn't I?...right? .-.**

**Okay, now that I'm done making a fool of myself, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and the lovely cliff hanger I left it on. Please hit that little button down below and leave behind a few words. Thanks!**


	4. Explain Please

**Hey guys! Welcome back to chapter 4 of Colours! I'm sorry it took so long to write this, I had a really bad case of writers block mixed with large amounts of school work and after school + before school rehearsals for my Drama exam...argh...**

**Anyways****, thank you everyone who reviewed and put up with the waiting! Double thanks for everyone who suggested power ideas. There are a few that I have decided to use, but I'm not saying which ones, ahah.**

**Beta'd by **Tainted Tuesday** cause she is awesome and beta'd it in a day cause she's just so pro so that I would post this up quickly, so thank her for the faster update! =D**

**OH! One more thing, **ArisaLyeanna **wrote an awesome story based off of this one called** 'Flower's Personalities' **and I hear she is planning on writing another story based off of this one too! I'm really honoured so I'm pimping her out right here! xD Be sure to check out her stuff!**

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN HETALIA. YEAH**

**Please enjoy and review! ^^  
**

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"Calm down and I'll explain everything."

There was faint mumbling and Matthew turned to see the Vargas brothers lying on the other couch. Feliciano had pulled Lovino onto his lap and positioned him so that his head was lying on his chest. He was whispering something rapidly into his older brother's ear who was struggling to keep his eyes open. Lovino was attempting to glare at Gilbert but in his tired state it just looked like a grimace.

"Bas…_bastardo,"_ Lovino panted at the Prussian, his eyelids flattering lamely. Feliciano looked worried and a little scared as he gently slapped his brother's face, trying to keep him awake.

"Just five more minutes_. _Five more…" He trailed off and began to speak again in rapid Italian, bringing the older male closer to his body.

Matthew eyes grew wide as he stared at the scene between the two. Was he the one who brought Lovino to this state? "Is…is he okay?"

"He's fine," Feliciano stated uncharacteristically bitterly and Matthew noticed with a small start that his colour was flickering between red and sea green.

Gilbert scratched his neck a little awkwardly as his eyes went from the near unconscious Italian to whatever else was in the room. "Hey…"

"_Bastardo._" Surprising, it was Feliciano who had said it to Gilbert this time. He narrowed his eyes at the other as he continued. "You _know_ Lovino is vulnerable after he uses his ability! He wouldn't have enough energy to register Matteo!"

"_I didn't know!_" Gilbert shouted back, anger mixed with embarrassment in his eyes. "You know I can't remember every little thing about every person I freakin' meet!"

"This isn't little! The last time this happened he almost _died! How can you forget?"_

"You _know _the reason I could forget!"

Matthew sank deeper into the couch as the two continued to argue, growing more and more confused as it went on. Register him…? Just why did he need to be registered? And, registered to what?

Fear rose in his chest as, as silly as it was, he was reminded of those Saturday morning cartoons he used to watch when he was young. The ones where the naïve character with a dangerous power would be seduced by the bad guys with kind words and promises of answers. As stupid as he felt thinking this, were Gilbert and Feliciano the 'bad guys' and he the 'naïve' character? Were they trying to get him to join some kind of evil organization whose goal was to take over the world?

Yes, it sounded unrealistic, but he could see emotions in colours, Gilbert could find out about someone by touching them, and Lovino would heal people with what seemed like the power of his mind.

Honestly, if someone told Matthew right now that Harry Potter was a real person and Narnia existed, he would believe them.

He slowly rose to his feet, watching the two carefully to make sure they didn't notice him. Truthfully, he had had enough of this. He had went along with Gilbert to get answers, but he had yet to receive any and was afraid that if he were to stay any longer he would get roped into something he didn't want to be a part of. Luckily for Matthew, they were too into their argument to see the blond slowly inch his way out of the room.

"Hey, the cute kid's leavin'."

Matthew froze when he heard Lovino's slurred voice call him out and his face went a light pink. Really, why did everyone think he was cute? He's a boy! Maybe he should get a haircut…

"Matteo…"

"Hey Birdie, it's too soon to fly away."

Matthew turned to look at them but made no move to go back to his previous seat.

"What does it mean to be registered? And why were you trying to register me?" He cussed that his voice came out softer than he intended it to, but it still got his point across.

There was a pause before a look of mild horror crossed Feliciano's face as he understood. "Oh! Oh no, ve~! It isn't anything bad it's just when, um…" He turned to Gilbert for help, knowing that the Prussian knew more about it then he did.

Gilbert stood. "You see kid, when—" He took a step towards the Canadian which Matthew responded by taking a step back. Gilbert paused before he sat back down on the couch with a small frown. "…When two people with abilities who have never met before touch, they 'register' a bit of each other's…what did that guy call it… 'Chi' or unique energy or...whatever. It's how we pick each other out from the norms. But because everyone feels so different, a lot of people with abilities can't tell when they meet each other with just a touch. Well, I can 'cause I'm awesome but that's just me. You with me so far?"

Matthew nodded dumbly. Gilbert continued.

"But every once in a while we run into someone like you who rarely uses their ability and hasn't registered anyone else in a long time. This someone has next to no energy to spare and so when they do finally come in contact with a new person with abilities it's a huge shock."

"That's why you fainted, Matteo." Feliciano shifted Lovino onto his opposite shoulder, not seeming to care that he was now asleep. "I thought it might have been because you had an ability but I wasn't really sure…that's why I got your email from Alfredo and gave it to Gil. I hope you're not mad…"

Of course Alfred would do something like give out his email and not tell him about it. Matthew shook his head in Feliciano's direction. "It's fine…" He mumbled before looking towards Gilbert. "I…just…just how many of…us…are there?"

"_A lot." _Gilbert answered vaguely. "There has be at least…_twenty _in this area alone." He gave Matthew a curious look. "And you really haven't contacted any of them? Not even a run in on the street? That's weird…"

Matthew didn't notice Gilbert's ungloved hand twitch as he studied the Canadian. Truthfully, their distance bothered him; usually if he wanted to know something about anyone he would just touch them. Too bad he didn't also have super stretching abilities.

Matthew adjusted his glasses nervously under Gilberts stare. "I-I'm sorry, what's weird?"

"If you really didn't hang around anyone 'special' than you would've been out way longer than you were," Gilbert explained, cupping his chin with his hand in a thinking matter. "…Are you tired?"

"Eh? ...No…I'm fine…" How strange, last time he was pretty much dead, this time he felt indifferent. Why was that?

"…You probably are hanging around someone with abilities, kid. Someone you've already registered most likely, and don't even know it." He covered his mouth to hide his smile at the other's shocked face. "Hell, they probably don't even know it."

That perplexed Matthew. How could one not know they had abilities? Did they just think it was normal to be able to do all this weird stuff that no one else could?

"This must be very confusing…" Feliciano stated as he absentmindedly petted the top of Lovino's head. "There's actually a club where people with abilities come and meet up once a week or so. You should come."

Matthew turned to Feliciano. He felt a little strange asking but…"Do you have an ability too?"

Feliciano shook his head. "No, but I go to the club with Lovino and Gilbert all the time. It's really fun!"

Matthew slowly nodded, not really looking like he was paying attention. "I…I think I'll go home now." There was a short pause before he quickly added, "Thank you for the information." He turned to leave.

Gilbert stood up again and reached into his pocket for his keys. "I'll drive yo—"

"No!" Matthew answered thinking back to the Prussian's death trap of a car. He was amazed that thing wasn't considered a safety hazard. "I-I mean, I'll walk. I-I have to do something along the way an-anyways. Bu-but thank you."

And before the Prussian could protest Matthew was already gone. Gilbert let out a frustrated growl before flopping back down on the couch. "Kids…" He mumbled like the old seventeen year old he was.

/ / / \ \ \

The walk from the Vargas house to his own took about forty five minutes, too soon in Matthew's opinion. He had spent the whole walk pondering over the things that Gilbert and Feliciano had told him. He thought he should be happy, knowing that there were more people like him out in the world, but he didn't. He should feel more at ease with his questions answered but it only left him more confused. If there were more people like him in the world did that mean they could do these things for a reason?

Just why did they have these abilities?

Those thoughts dissolved into fear when he was just minutes away from his house. There was no doubt that the school called his parents about his act of violence, and he knew Alfred would be upset that he ditched him at lunch. He twiddled with the bottom of his shirt as he stepped up to the front door, a lump forming in his throat. He knew Papa trusted the Vargas' so maybe he should lie and say that he went to their house to fix up Gilbert. Well, that wasn't a complete lie, but maybe he shouldn't mention Gilbert. He didn't really seem like the most trustworthy guy. He sighed before he opened the door with a shaking hand. Though it wasn't entirely his fault that he was in this mess, he knew he would have to deal with it sooner or later.

Not a second passed between him opening the door and stepping inside before the familiar body of Alfred smashed into him and pulled him into a bone crushing hug.

"_Mattie!_" He wailed before burying his face into the others neck and Matthew realized with a start that Alfred was actually _crying._ It took a few moments to get over the shock of that fact before he started to pat Alfred's back awkwardly in an attempt to calm him down.

"Mon Dieu! Mathieu are you alright?" And cue concerned French father. Francis ignored Alfred and cupped Matthew's chin turning his face this way and that to get a proper look at him. After a thorough examination Francis released his son and breathed a sigh of relief. "Ah… Dieu merci_…"_

"Matthew? Matthew is that you?"

Matthew stiffened when he heard his other father's stern voice quickly followed by his equally stern face entering the scene. Matthew gulped and began to pick nervously at the fabric on Alfred's shirt. "Ah-ah… hel-hello Arthur…"

"Don't 'hello Arthur' me! Where were you? We were worried sick!"

Matthew opened his mouth to answer but Arthur wasn't done speaking.

"You skip school! You leave your brother to go God knows where! You know who called Matthew Williams Bonnefoy-Kirkland?"

Oh jeez full name.

"The _principal! _You _punched _someone? You have a record now young man! A BLOODY RECORD!"

"Wait just a moment Arthur," Francis placed a hand on the other's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. "There must be some kind of explanation, non? Just calm down…"

Arthur slapped away the hand and rounded on his husband. "'Calm down?' Francis! _Your son_ just assaulted a peer!"

"Mathieu is a good boy! He would never do such a thing without some kind of circumstance!"

And there they go. For once, Matthew was actually glad that they chose arguing over him. Alfred sniffed and lifted himself off his brothers' shoulder, elegantly wiping his nose with his sleeve.

"I'm sorry," Matthew quickly apologized, his head low. He figured that while his parents were occupied he better explain himself to Alfred. "I know we always walk home together but—"

"You know who I ran into on the way back? Roxie."

Matthew blinked, instantly recognizing the name. "You mean…your old girlfriend?"

Alfred nodded his seldom expression turning into a pout as he detached himself from Matthew and crossed his arms. "Yeah, the hoe that dumped me the day before my birthday and ran off with Adam."

Adam = Alfred's crush before he started dating Roxanne.

"Are they still togeth

together?"

"No," Alfred's sad expression returned and Matthew was afraid he would start crying again. "She's dating _Emmett_."

Emmett = Alfred's crush since grade school.

"Oh Alfred…" Matthew held out his arms and Alfred eagerly accepted the invitation. "That must have been awkward…"

"It was!" Alfred sobbed. "But Emmett still looked really hot today!"

Matthew rolled his eyes as he patted his brother's back. Now he could understand why Alfred was crying. When it came to relationships he was a total mess. He would even cry during the weird French soap operas their father watched, even if he had no idea what they were talking about. And whenever Alfred was faced with some kind of romantic crisis he would find Matthew and cry on his shoulder until either he fell asleep or decided to write nasty comments about them on Facebook.

"Mathieu._"_

Matthew looked up at his French father, who was now sporting a red slap mark on his face. If Matthew wasn't in trouble he would have found it amusing. "Come; let us move to the sitting room."

Matthew gulped and gently nudged Alfred out of the hug. "T-the sitting room?"

Francis nodded with a small sigh. "Oui. The sitting room. Now let's go, Arthur's already waiting."

Matthew gulped again as he groggily followed the Frenchman down the hall. The sitting room was the room that he was told not to go into when Alfred was getting punished. It was never him that was asked to go in while Alfred was told to go to his room.

Maybe meeting Gilbert was not a good idea.

He stood awkwardly in the doorway, Francis walking ahead of him to sit next to Arthur, though with some respectable distance between them. Arthur turned to his son with a sigh, annoyance lingering in his eyes.

"Sit."

Matthew immediately complied, sitting down quite rigidly on the couch opposite of his fathers, gaze on his lap. Though he had sat on this couch before, now it seemed like he had turned into a princess and there was a pea underneath the cushion.

"Matthew."

"Yes?" Matthew replied so softly that if the breeze coming from the window was blowing in the wrong direction Arthur would not have heard it.

"Matthew, look at me."

Matthew titled his head upward though was unable to match Arthur's glare. He tried, he really did, though was only able to look at him for a few seconds before felt forced to look away. Arthur figured that was the best he could get.

"Now Matthew, your father and I—"

"I'm sorry!" Mathew interrupted, sudden anxiety overcoming him. "I-I should have called, I know! Or at least told Alfred where I was going!"

"Mathieu its alrigh—"

"I-I mean! I have responsibilities and I completely disregarded them! I was being sel-selfish!"

"Calm down lad—"

"I've never done anything like this before! An-and I swear I'll never do it again I—"

"MATTHEW WE ARE NOT ANGRY!"

Matthew immediately stopped his talking; only now noticing that he had his knees pulled up to his stomach as if expecting one of them to leap forward and attack him.

"Re-really?" he asked, his voice reverting back to his soft nature as he placed his feet back on the ground.

"Yes, really." Francis reached forward and placed a hand on his knee, though retreated when he noticed Matthew flinch at the contact. "We talked to the principal and you're not getting punished. The boy that you…hit, apparently he did not want you to be in trouble and so you are only getting off with a warning."

Matthew blinked. Did…did Gilbert really do that for him? Even though he punched him in the eye? Wow, that was…really nice of him.

"Really?" Matthew questioned again, and Francis nodded. There was a second of hesitation before he turned to Arthur to confirm the story.

Arthur nodded before he sighed and rubbed his temple. Though Matthew was certainly the better behaved of the two, he was still difficult to handle in his own way. "Yes Matthew, even if I raised my voice before." Francis coughed awkwardly in his fist and Arthur sent him a glare. "…You are not getting punished. We are just…we're just a little worried lad…"

Matthew titled his head in confusion, an emotion he had experienced far too much today. "Worried?"

"Yes, well…are you…okay?"

There was a pause as the young blond tried to figure out just what the other was talking abo—wait. No, it wasn't about…

"I'm sorry, Arthur," He sunk lower into the couch as he spoke. This was just too much for one day; he really didn't want to talk about _that_ as well. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"You know, I think that's good enough," Francis said with small humour in his voice as he made to stand. "Mathieu_,_ maybe you should go and do your homew—"

"I mean are you okay since the incident?"

Heavy silence filled the room as reluctantly Francis sat back down. Matthew felt the colour drain from his face as his hunch was confirmed. He glanced up at his parents to find then both staring back at him, one with concern and the other with…he couldn't even tell. He hugged his legs to his chest and buried his face into his knees.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"And that is okay," Francis made to reach out and comfort Matthew though thought better of it. He squeezed onto Arthur's hand instead. "We do not need to speak of it. We just need to know if this has something to do with—"

"It doesn't," Matthew stated bluntly, glancing at the door. "Can I go now? I have homework."

Francis and Arthur gave each other side ways glances. Arthur frowned as Francis shook his head and gave a small shrug.

Arthur sighed, "Yes, yes. Go do your homework."

Matthew quickly stood to leave.

"Mathieu."

Matthew turned back to his French father.

"I…_we_ love you."

Matthew paused before he slowly nodded and left, leaving the married couple alone once again. Francis shifted his body so that he was facing his husband. "Artie…"

"Don't 'Artie' me!" Arthur snapped, tugging his hand out of Francis' grasp and standing up. "You know as well as I do that he needs to talk about what happened!"

"Well this is what Dr. John is for, non?"

"Dr. John, Dr. John. The therapist, Francis? That's your answer for everything!"

"No it is not! Are you criticizing the way I raise _my _son!"

"I'm saying that Matthew has a better relationship with the _bloody therapist_ than he does with _me!"_

… …

Francis couldn't help but let a small chuckle escape him as he stood to be on the same ground as his partner. "Is that what this is about?"

Arthur didn't answer, what he did was turn his back to the blond and move to the other side of the room, his frown hidden from the Frenchman's view. "…It's been four years Francis, and I still feel I know nothing about him."

Francis frowned, glancing at the door where Matthew had just left before he started towards his husband. "I love you, Arthur, and Matthew does too," He wrapped his arms around Arthur's torso Arthur did not protest. "He is simply not as…forward with his affection as Alfred. It may take some getting used to."

Arthur hung in head in thought, holding onto the hands around his stomach for some comfort. "He has not called me 'dad' since we moved back to Canada."

"…Matthew loves you, Artie, and that is the truth." He placed a small kiss on the Englishman's neck before he retracted his arms. "I'm going to start dinner."

Arthur gave a curt nod and Francis left the room. Releasing a heavy sigh he went and flopped back down on the couch, his body suddenly feeling heavier than before.

_Do not fret, Arthur, for your partner's words hold nothing but truth._

Arthur looked up at the small voice, his expression softening when he noticed whom it belonged to. "Ah, Florina, it has been a while."

_Indeed it has, big one._

She flew down and rested on Arthur's shoulder, a small smile on her lips. Arthur returned the gesture with a small forced one of his own. "I suppose you heard all that."

_Forgive me for dropping in on your affairs, but I did indeed hear everything._

"Yes of course," Arthur replied, dropping his head in his hands. The fairy flew up and patted his head in a comforting motion.

_It is hard for a soul as pure as Matthew's to remain so white after everything he has been through. There is a spot in his heart for you. It is simply hard for him to admit it is there._

"…Yes, well I suppose you are right. You always are." He sat up straight and turned to his fairy companion, bowing his head. "Thank you for your advice, Princess Florina."

The fairy gave a low bow back.

_It is the least I can do for a friend, Sir Arthur._

She giggled before there was a flash of blue and she was gone.

* * *

**Translation:  
Dieu Merci – French for Thank God. Thank you **hello november** for the French correction. **

**Hmmmm…I don't even really like this chapter, and I'm horrible at writing FRUK (even though it's one of my favourite pairings.-.) BUT it explains things, and that is what it needed to do. **

**Yeah that's right ENGLANDer ARTHUR HAS A POWER TOO. I want to say 'you didn't see that coming did you?' but I'm so bad with these things that most of you probably did .-.**

**Till next time, hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review!**


	5. Interactions

**Hi Guuyys!**

**Chapter 5 of Colours is here! It's actually kind of done on time! And by done on time I mean not a month later yay me!**

**So the 'incident' that was mentioned last chapter has not been explained yet, so now you have something to wonder about ha! Just gotta keep reading to find out!**

**Edited version up! Thanks to **Tainted Tuesday **yet again.**

**Yep, next chapter might take a while longer because I have exams and should be studying instead of doing this haha...wish me luck I'ma need it .-.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, but I do own a little bit of Canada.**

**Please enjoy and review!**

* * *

"So there _are_ others with powers too!" Alfred laughed before grabbing a nearby pillow and threw it at his brother's head. "See! I told you! You need to listen to me more!"

Matthew grabbed the pillow and threw it back, though he missed his target. "If I did that I would probably get in as much trouble as you do!"

"Well jeez, way to put me down, bro!" He laughed again before he flopped down on the bed and looked at Matthew. He probably should be following his brother's example and doing his homework, but he was too excited for that right now. "That would explain why that guy is always wearing gloves. I thought it was some freaky fetish."

"You think Gilbert's the kind to have a fetish like that?"

"Psh, for sure that guy's a freak." He grabbed his trusty baseball and began to toss it up and catch it. "Strutting around school claiming he's the 'most awesome guy on earth'. He's a freakin' egoistical weirdo. You should be careful around that guy, Mattie. He's nothing but a trouble maker! Take it from me, I'm the hero!"

Matthew couldn't help the small laugh that escaped him as he saw the reason why the two of them didn't get along. It was because they were too alike.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing." Matthew assured with a smirk. "So, what happened at school today?"

The throwing of the baseball stopped.

"…What?"

"You know, with me, ah, punching Gilbert and the thing at the cafe."

"...Oh." Alfred continued with the throwing of his baseball. "Nothing much. The vice came and stopped everyone from crowding and then that loud mouth Turk came and told everyone that you punched Gilbert, and then lunch had to be cut short because everyone was pretty much rioting."

The Canadian stopped in his typing to turn to his twin incredulously. "Re-really?"

"Yeah, you're a bit of a badass hero now bro," The blond laughed. "Not as heroic as me, but I think the girls are gonna notice you now."

The blond blushed before he turned back to his laptop and continued with his homework. Alfred chuckled at his brother's embarrassment and Matthew quickly changed the subject.

"Why did you pause?"

"What pause?"

"When I asked about school you paused."

The tossing of the baseball ceased once more. "…No I didn't."

"Yes you did. You did it again just now. Did something else happen?"

"…Nothing happened."

Matthew stole a glance at Alfred and—was that a blush on his face?

"Alfred."

"I'm telling you nothing happened!"

"You're lyi—"

_Ping__!_

Both blonds stopped to look to Matthew's laptop, which happily noted that he had received mail.

"Hey, that's Feli's email," Alfred noted, hopping off the bed to lean over Matthew's shoulder and read the mail's contents. Inside was information of the club Feliciano mentioned where people with abilities met up.

"They're meeting this Friday," Matthew read. "Should I go…?"

"Are you kidding? And miss out on all the cool abilities that other people might have? If you're not grounded for punching that guy I'll go with you."

"I'm not being grounded."

"WHAT! Ah c'mon! I was grounded for a month just for riding a skateboard!"

"You tried to jump over Arthur's new motorcycle and ended up breaking it."

"…Oh yeah. That jump was pretty amazing though."

Matthew couldn't help but smile at his brother. He was definitely an idiot, but he knew how to make him feel better. Alfred smiled as well and looked over at the computer screen once more.

"So when is it again? Friday at—oh wait," He allowed an annoyed hiss to escape him and he scratched the back of his neck angrily. "Crap, I forgot, I have work that day. Damn it…" He sulked back towards the bed and flopped down face first into it.

"So…you can't come?"

"Nooooo… I don't think the boss would be happy if I took off a day on such short notice," Alfred said, flipping his head to the side to look at the other blond. "Sorry, Mattie."

"Oh…" Was all Matthew said before he turned back to his laptop and closed the email window. Now he really wasn't sure if he wanted to go. Yes, he was curious of the abilities of others and exactly what they did at this club of theirs, but he didn't want to go alone. With Alfred there was someone that he knew and trusted. Without him the person he could probably rely on the most would be someone like…Feliciano, or Lovino… or Gilbert.

Not a good thought.

"But you can still go without me," Alfred pondered aloud as he continued to play with his baseball. "I could ask Kiku to go with you. He's the most loyal guy I know!"

"Kiku? I dunno…does he even know that…um…people with abilities exist?"

"…Good point."

Silence.

"How about this, I ask Feli about it tomorrow, and if Kiku can go you have to go and take pictures for me."

"This isn't a zoo."

"I know! I know! Fine then, just tell me of all the awesome abilities they have! I'm not picky!"

At this point Matthew closed his laptop and turned his chair so that he was facing his brother head on. "Alfred, you have to promise me something."

"What?" Alfred replied, not noticing the sudden serious atmosphere in the room.

"You have to promise not to go around telling everyone we have these abilities."

"I've kept your secret so far, haven't I?"

"_Alfred."_

He finally looked up and noted the serious expression on his brother's face. He quickly caught his baseball and put it aside before swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

"I promise." He said, holding his pinkie out towards Matthew.

Matthew walked over to Alfred and hooked his pinkie with his own with a smile. "I knew I could count on you."

"I'm the hero. You can always count on me."

/ / / \ \ \

"Great, so now this bastard knows too?"

It was the end of the school day, and the North American twins found themselves outside of the music room, which both Feliciano and Lovino were about to enter for after school Jazz Band practice. Matthew looked down at his feet, a little embarrassed.

"I-I'm sorry. I should have told you that Alfred already knew of my ability..."

Feliciano smiled and waved it off. "No~ it's okay. It's not really a _big _secret."

"Really?" Alfred asked, honestly surprised. "No secret identities, costumes or suppressed pasts?"

Feliciano laughed, Lovino gave Alfred an incredulous stare and Matthew fixed his brother with a 'will-you-behave' glare.

"What Alfred means to ask is," Matthew started, nudging Alfred aside with his elbow. "Just how many people without abilities know of people with abilities?"

Lovino narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice to a dangerous whisper when he noticed a couple of students walking by. "Don't think you can go around blabbering about what we can do."

"N-no, that's not my intention at all I just—"

"Does Kiku know?" Alfred asked, cutting off his brother to get straight to the point. Feliciano nodded happily.

"Yep! He's a regular member of the club as well! His brother, Yao, is the one who runs all the meetings!"

Both Alfred and Matthew were shocked by the news. Lovino turned to his brother in confusion.

"Brother? I thought Yao was his uncle."

"Well…"

It was a well known fact that most of the Asians in their small community were related to each other in some way. Though no one knew exactly how (even the Asians seemed to have trouble keeping all their relations straight).

"Whatever, these bastards are making us late."

"Ve?" Feliciano glanced inside the music room to find that nearly everyone had finished setting up. "Ve! We have to hurry!" He pushed a protesting Lovino inside before he turned to the twins once more. "I hoped that helped! I'll see you tomorrow!" He then gave a curt wave and disappeared into the room, music pouring from it moments later.

Alfred turned to Matthew with a smug smile. "Seeee? I knew Kiku knew! He's really smart!"

Matthew pouted. A part of him hoped he knew of their secret so that he could go to that club. The other part wished that Kiku was kept in the dark. Though he did see a lot of Kiku, as he was Alfred's best friend, he didn't really talk to him much and didn't know much about him. "Intelligence has nothing to do with knowing secrets."

"You're just sour 'cause I won," Alfred patted Matthew on the back before leading him away from the door. Their footsteps created a dull echo as they walked down the empty hallway, the students having already left long ago.

"So I'll call up Kiku later tonight and see if he's in," Alfred said, stretching his arms up in the air as he walked. "I would call him now but I think he has some…extra math course or something." He dropped his arms rather dramatically and made a disgusted face. "Crazy Asians."

Matthew nodded with a small smile tugging on his lips. "Okay, just remember that we have to—" Matthew stopped walking, a slightly panicked look on his face. Alfred stopped as well and looked back at his brother.

"What's wrong?"

"I-I forgot my chemistry notes in my locker." Matthew shifted his weight from foot to foot as he contemplated on what to do for a few moments. "I…I'm gonna run up and get them, just wait here, okay?"

"Hurry back!" Alfred called to the retreating figure of his brother. He crossed his arms and tapped his finger against his elbow impatiently. This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, but Alfred was not a huge fan of waiting. There was also just something about standing in the middle of an empty hallway in an eerily quiet school that was just a little unnerving. Huh, maybe he should have followed Matthew up to hi—

A sudden pressure on his chest knocked him out of his thoughts.

"AGH!"

"Guess who!"

Alfred jumped out of the others grasp and turned to glare at him, crossing his arms over his chest protectively once again.

"_You!_"

Yong Soo smiled widely at the American and pointed to himself merrily. "Yes! Me!"

"What the hell are _you _doing here?"

"Well I go to school here!" Yong Soo answered as if it was obvious. Alfred didn't reply, instead he narrowed his eyes and tried to use the power of his thoughts to will the Korean to go away. It didn't work.

Yong Soo, being another impatient teenager, decided to break the short silence. "So have you thought of an answer yet?"

This caused Alfred to raise an eyebrow at the other in confusion. "An answer to what?"

Yong Soo physically deflated at that line. "An answer to what he says!" He straightened up and looked Alfred right in the face. "From yesterday, da~ze!"—A light blush crept onto Alfred's cheeks—"You left pretty speechless~"

This caused Alfred to take an aggressive step forward, his embarrassment over the chest groping forgotten. "I have _nothing_ to say about what happened yesterday." He paused to look around him for listeners. Even though there was no one there, he still lowered his tone to a deadly whisper. "I'm just glad no one was around to see that you _kissed_ me, another guy! You can't just go around kissing anyone you wan—"

He was promptly cut off by another pair of lips pushing against his own. Alfred's eyes widened in surprise, but before he could understand what was going on Yong Soo had already pulled away and took a couple steps back. Yong Soo smiled slyly at the other.

"Yes I can. I just did."

Alfred blinked at the dark haired male, his eyes still wide in shock. It took him a few moments to fully comprehend what had just happened. When he did he made a disapproving sound before he turned around and took a couple steps away from the other student. He could feel how red his cheeks were getting and he rather that weirdo not see it.

"L-listen," He started weakly, turning his head just a bit so that he could see the Korean in the corner of his eye. "Just stay away from me…I don't swing that way."

Yes he did, he swung both ways, but he rather that information not be made public to the school. At his last school in America he had told the wrong people of his sexuality and within the week the people he thought were friends had turned against him. Now he was careful about the people he told, even if they were in another country; only close friends and family knew. He didn't want a repeat of what happened at his old school.

He heard chuckling behind him, and he turned to give Yong Soo an annoyed glare. "What?"

"That's a lie, da~ze!" Yong Soo said with a smirk. "I see the long way glances you give Emmett when you think no one is looking~" He released a happy sigh as Alfred physically stiffened. "It's like something out of my favourite soap opera."

"…I have no idea what you're talking about!" Alfred cried, whipping around and staring the Korean down. It was at this point that Matthew walked in, too busy stuffing papers into his backpack to notice the scene in front of him.

"Sorry I took so long Alfre—" He stopped when he noticed the mixture of dark colours behind his brother and he looked between him and Yong Soo in confusion. "Uhhh…"

Yong Soo looked shocked when he saw the other blond, and he quickly looked between Alfred and Matthew in amazement. Alfred stomped over to his brother and grabbed onto his wrist.

"It's fine Mattie, let's go." And without looking back Alfred dragged Matthew away.

"O-oh, okay…" Matthew stole a glance back at the Korean before he was forced to turn his attention to keeping up with Alfred.

Yong Soo watched the two until they rounded a corner. He stood there for a bit, letting the new information sink in.

"…Twins?" A smile found its way on his face. "This just got a lot better, da~ze."

* * *

**Meeehhh, sorry for the lame chapter but I guess it needed to be done(?)(it's never good when the author questions herself ha xD)**

**Sorry it's not the best, I knew that I had to write Alfred's scene in one sitting or it would take forever to write... but yes, AmericaxKorea, I love it! It seriously needs more love. I don't think I've ever read/seen anything of the two together that wasn't sad. If you can find one you'll send it my way right? Right.**

**Till next time, hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review!**


	6. The Meeting pt1

**Hello everyone! Kitty29 here with the sixth (SIXTH MYGAWD) chapter of colours! (YAY!)**

**Also thanks everyone for the support with the pairing! And thanks to** A Bleach-Drinking Hetalian **for the link to the story. It was so cute, I wish they'll continue it!** **The story's called **WHOA, WHAT! **by **AsianTwinkiesFTW **so be sure to check that out!  
**

**Oh snap almost forgot, the character of Malaysia, or Raiman, belongs to **ArisaLyeanna **not me. He seemed like a fun character to write so I put him in there! =D **

**Anyways, this chapter was originally going to cover the club meeting and everything that happens there as well but when it started to get closer to the 16 page mark I decided to cut it into two parts so here's part one!**

**Disclaimer: Some guy in Japan owns them, not me.**

**Enjoy and review!  
**

* * *

Math, math, math, math, math.

Matthew Williams scribbled down notes passionately at the back of his math class while everyone else slacked off and waited impatiently for the teacher to stop talking. The Canadian however, was a little more frantic. The math class that he had missed at the start of week was more important than he had originally thought. They had learned an important new function that had to be understood in order to fully understand everything else they were about to learn in the next unit.

Matthew did not understand the function.

So he decided to take as many notes as they could—no matter how insignificant the detail—so he could go home and study his ass off. It didn't help that there was also a test the following week, and though it wasn't worth much he didn't wish to fail.

"Matt."

Matthew paused in his writing and looked up at the dark brown haired boy beside him. He slipped a piece of paper over the notes Matthew was taking and whispered, "You can copy my notes from Monday, but I need it back by the end of class."

Matthew blinked before a large smile formed on his face and he was hit with a wave of relief. If he wasn't so shy—or in the middle of a classroom—he'd hug him. "Thanks Rai!"

The Malaysian simply nodded, returning his attention back to the teacher. A couple moments of silence rolled by, with only the faint scratching of pencils and the teacher's dull voice filling the small room. Raiman turned his head towards Matthew and whispered, "What are you doing after school today?"

"Um…" Matthew paused in his writing to push his glasses back up his nose. Today was the day Kiku would accompany him to that club. Just thinking about it sent butterflies off in his stomach; he really didn't know what to expect there. What if the people had better, cooler powers than he did, and looked down at his own? What if he turned out to be the outcast of the…well…of the other outcasts?

His friend tilted his head at the sudden silence. "Well?"

Matthew looked up from his paper with a start, "Oh!" He said a bit too loudly (or so he thought) and he crouched lower over his desk before whispering, "I-I'm um…going out somewhere with my…my parents."

Raiman stared at Matthew blankly for a while before turning back towards the teacher.

"Hmm," was the last thing spoken between the two before the bell symbolizing the end of school rang.

**/ / / \ \ \**

"I feel sick."

"That's because you've barely eaten all week."

"Yes I have!"

"What was the last thing you ate?"

"I…I had pancakes this morning."

"You mean the half a pancake you had before we rushed out?"

"Uh…"

Kiku adjusted the strip of his backpack, silently watching the two as they fought. The three students found themselves just in front of the steadily emptying parking lot where Alfred had insisted he walk them to, even though his work was in the opposite direction. He groaned before pulling out his iPod to check the time with a scowl.

"Damn it, Mattie! You know if I don't go now I'll be late getting there early for my free coffee!" He mumbled something about how he couldn't live without that coffee before he turned to Kiku, whom stood a little straighter when he noticed he was about to be addressed. "Make sure he eats something, okay?"

Kiku nodded and Alfred flashed him his infamous hero grin and thumbs up.

"Thanks buddy! Catch you guys on the flip side!" And with that said Alfred was off like a rocket, the thought of the shop's famous coffee fuelling his feet into overdrive.

Matthew released a long sigh before pushing his hair out of his face. He asked, "Should we get going?" Kiku shook his head and glanced over at the parking lot.

"Yao is going to pick us up."

"…Okay." Matthew dropped his bags on the ground before sitting on the curb. He removed his glasses and put his head in his hands, willing for the nausea he was feeling to pass. Really, things were going just a bit too fast for him. It was only four days ago that he was basically kidnapped and told that he wasn't the only one who could do extraordinary things and now he was on his way to met with total strangers to talk about things he told himself he would never talk about. A small probing to his shoulders brought him back to earth. He placed his glasses back on his nose before looking to Kiku, who had joined him on the curb and was trying to get his attention with a small black box.

"Please, Williams-kun," Kiku offered the blond the box, which Matthew hesitantly took. "It may not be much, but it is all I have at the moment."

The box was Kiku's half eaten lunch, which contained a very stereotypically Asian lunch of rice and fish.

"O-Oh…thank you Kik- Honda…san," Matthew replied, struggling to remember any Japanese mannerisms that Alfred taught him (of all the people to learn manners from…Alfred). "But I'm not really hungry right now…maybe a little later."

He made to give the box back to Kiku, but Kiku pushed it back into his lap. "Please, Alfred is not the only one to notice how little you have eaten these past few days."

Matthew blinked. Sure he had started having lunch with Kiku, Ludwig, Feliciano and their close group of friends ever since that kidnapping episode but he never expected Kiku to pay attention to him like that. No one ever paid attention to him except for Alfred.

He opened the box to begin eating its contents or at least, that was his plan. However he was stopped by a car parking in the spot right in front of him, and an older Asian male Matthew assumed to be Yao poked his head out the window. Kiku stood up and Matthew stuffed the box into his backpack before quickly following suit.

"Sorry I'm late, aru." Yao said and his eyes settled on the now fidgeting blond. "So you're Matthew? I'm Yao, it's nice to meet you." He offered a hand for the other to shake. Matthew smiled awkwardly before he made to take it.

"It's good to meet you to—"

His hand was suddenly jerked back and he looked back to see Kiku holding onto his wrist.

"Forgive me," the Japanese student said with a faint blush, releasing Matthew's arm and turning to Yao. "Williams-kun is still new when it comes registering others. It would be better not to touch until we are inside the car."

Yao retraced his hand back into the car, a look of mild amazement on his face. "Ahhh...good idea. Now come on, we need to go, aru!"

Kiku nodded and started towards the car while Matthew scooped down and grabbed his things. He took a deep breath. _Here goes… _he thought as he opened the door and slipped into the back seat.

Yao looked back at him and offered his hand once more. "As I was saying, I'm Yao, I run the club, aru. Nice to meet you."

Matthew nodded, trying to will his nerves to calm down. "Matthew, it's nice to meet you too." And Matthew took his hand, for once expecting the darkness that surrounded him soon after he did so.

He awoke to the two chattering in a language that he was unfamiliar with and the radio playing some hit song. He pushed himself into a sitting position and rubbed his eyes, catching the attention of the other two males.

"Hello Williams-kun," Kiku greeted with a nod. "How do you feel?"

"Fine, thank you…just a little tired."

"Go back to sleep then." Yao advised. "You probably woke up too soon, aru."

Matthew nodded, putting his seat belt on before glancing out the window. Huh, they were barely a street away from the school. He thought he would be out longer than that, maybe he was getting used to this, 'registering' business. For some reason this caused a happy feeling to bloom in his chest.

"We should be there in about half an hour, aru," The Chinese man started. "Usually the club starts later but because I'm the leader I have to be there early and set things up, aru. Don't be surprised when we get there and there are not a lot of peop…"

… …

… …

… "_Bonjour Mathieu."_

"_Bonjour papa!" Matthew greeted back happily allowing his father to buckle him in. Francis smiled down at him before he shut the door and walked around the car so that he could settle into the drivers seat._

"_How was school? Did you make any friends?"_

"_Nope!" Matthew replied joyfully, smiling largely at Francis as though he had done something good. Francis sighed and looked back at his son._

"_Mathieu, you are in kindergarten! This is the time when you are supposed to be making friends!" The Frenchman paused before his face took on one of concern. "The other kids aren't being mean to you, are they?"_

_Matthew shook his head furiously, causing his longish hair to flop about his head uselessly. "No! No papa they're nice."_

_Francis gave a sigh of relief. "Then what is the problem?"_

_Matthew giggled before thumping his feet against the seat. "There is no problem papa. I just don't want Alf to feel lonely when he comes back."_

_At that Francis' body stiffened and he turned away from Matthew, not wanting him to see the sadness in his eyes. Matthew stopped the swinging of his legs and focused his attention the older male, blinking when he noticed the pink yellow he usually associated with his father had turned blue. He was sad. "What's wrong, papa?"_

"_Mathieu…" He grabbed onto the steering wheel and squeezed onto it. "Your mother…your mother left us. You know that right?"_

_Matthew slowly nodded unsure of what was making his father so upset. "Oui, but mommy didn't leave forever!" –Francis visibly flinched- "She's gonna come back soon, with Alf, and we'll be a family again!"_

_His grip around the steering wheel tightened and the blue colour deepened. The smile on Matthew's face faded. _

_"Mathieu…" Though he wasn't looking at him Matthew could see the pained expression on his face. "I don't think…I don't think Alfred's ever coming back."_

"Hey, Matt, wake up!"

Matthew jolted awake to the sound of a finger tapping the glass beside him. He whipped his head around to come face to face with the red eyed Prussian he hadn't seen in a while. Gilbert waved to him, a triumphant smile on his face.

"Mornin', Birdie!"

Matthew stared before looking past him at the small office looking building that did not look familiar in the slightest. He turned to the front of the car, where his two companions had disappeared from. Jeez, was he really out for that long? He rubbed the back of his neck, thinking back on the dream he had. God…of _all_ the times to have a dream like that... It just _had _to be the one time his brother wasn't around. Though he hated to admit it, whenever he had a dream like that he just had to see Alfred. He had to make sure he was really there.

"Bruder get away from Yao's car! You damaged it enough the last time you touched it!"

Gilbert disappeared from the windows view and in his place stood his taller brother. Ludwig glanced into the window and took a double take when he noticed the blond teenager within.

"Ah, you're…" He racked his brain for a name. Although Matthew couldn't see it, Gilbert gave his brother an unimpressed stare from the sidelines. "…Alfred's brother."

"Matthew," Matthew corrected, and decided to get out of the car when he noticed his quiet voice didn't carry through the car window.

"That's Matthew you jerk," Gilbert hissed, smacking Ludwig on the arm. "He's been eating lunch with you for the past week and you still can't remember his name?"

Ludwig glared at his brother for the hit before turning to Matthew. He opened his mouth to apologize but the Canadian beat him to it.

"It's okay." He said with a forced smile. "A lot of people forget my name so…"

"That's doesn't make it cool!" Gilbert argued for him, glaring at his brother again for being so rude. "No one deserves that unawesomeness!"

Matthew blinked, taken aback by some else other than Alfred standing up for him. Ludwig's cheeks turned a light pink in embarrassment and he nodded his head to the smaller blond awkwardly. "S-sorry…"

"N-no it's oka—" The nausea that he thought had passed returned and he leaned against the car to stop his legs from shaking. "I…I have to make a call." He excused himself from the confused Germans presence before he walked to the other side of the parking lot. Leaning heavily on the rail that lined the lot, he pulled out his cell phone to call his brother's work. His nausea seemed to worsen with each passing ring and by the third he was certain he was about to throw up whatever little he had in his stomach.

"_Alfred speaking."_

"Oh dieu merci_, _Alfred…Je t'ai effra—"

"_Whoa, whoa, calm down Mattie! You know I don't speak French!"_

Matthew chuckled nervously, feeling better now that he could hear his twin's voice. "Sorry Al. I…I just needed to hear your voice."

There was a brief silence which was broken with a muffled sigh on Alfred's end. _"You know that I'm here, right?"_

"…Yeah."

"_And you know I'll be at home when you get back, right?"_

"Yeah."

"_Then it's all good! Listen, I'm right here and I'm not leaving any time soon, so go and have fun and take some pictures for me or whatever you're gonna do, okay?" _

Matthew nodded, though realized that he couldn't be seen over a phone and said a quick good bye before slipping his phone back into his pocket. Though he felt better after he called his brother, his nausea still didn't pass. He leaned over the railing, trying to be as still as possible. He knew this was probably due to the lack of food over the last week. Whenever he was nervous he would stop eating and he had been pegged with thoughts of possible rejection ever since he had heard of this club. He knew he should eat, but he felt like if he ate anything now it would just give his body a reason to throw something up. He made a mental note to wait until the club was over before he would gorge himself with junk food.

"Hey Birdie, you okay?"

Matthew looked over at Gilbert who had joined him on the railing. He tried to straighten up some but his stomach protested.

"I-I'm fine," he lied through clenched teeth. He saw that the Prussian didn't believe him and so he quickly changed the subject. "I-I haven't thanked you for not getting me in trouble with the Vice. So…thank you."

Gilbert smiled his usual malicious smile and stood a little straighter. "Of course! But you could have thanked the awesome me before if you weren't avoiding me."

It was true; Matthew had been avoiding the albino. Though he was grateful for all the things he did for him, he was still a little intimated by him. The fact that every time he was alone with the other male bad stuff happened didn't help either. "Well I didn't want to get kidnapped again."

Gilbert's smile slipped at that. "Hey, it's not kidnapping if you go willingly."

"You mean guilt tripped into going."

"Guilt tripped? People get on their knees and _beg _for the mere _chance_ of being around my awesome presence!"

Matthew simply rolled his eyes while Gilbert glanced back to the building.

"We should go. Don't want to be late for your first meeting, do you?" Gilbert sent one last smirk in Matthew's direction before he pushed himself away from the railing and began to walk towards the building. Matthew followed a moment later, his stomach having calmed down enough to allow him to do so.

They walked in together, entering into a small area that reminded Matthew of a dentist's waiting room. From the chairs to the random magazines to the ticking clock on the wall, everything about it was…normal. Though Matthew didn't want to admit it, he felt just a little disappointed.

"Ah, Williams-kun!" Kiku bowed his head towards Gilbert in greeting before focusing his attention to the blond. "You are awake! Forgive me. I did not wake you when we arrived."

Matthew waved him off again, a sheepish smile on his face. "No, it's okay. I'm kind of a heavy sleeper so…"

"Kiku~!" called a feminine voice that Matthew did not recognize. "Need some help here!"

Kiku stuttered before bowing his head to the Canadian. "Forgive me, but I must go!" And he jogged off, disappearing behind one of the many doors the small hallway broke off into.

"Why does he call you Williams?" Gilbert questioned arching an eyebrow at the area where the smaller student was previously standing. "I thought your last name was Bonnefoy-Kirkland or something."

"It is." Matthew confirmed. "But there was an error in the system when I first arrived to the school and they put my middle name as my last name. They know what it is now but I told them I didn't mind, so they kept it as Matthew Williams." Matthew shrugged, his sheepish smile growing. "I kind of like it. Sounds more Canadian, eh? Matthew Williams."

… …

"Please don't ask if I'm dating Lady Gaga,"

Gilbert snapped his fingers in mock frustration. "Damn! I missed my chance!"

Matthew laughed and Gilbert noted that it was the first time he had ever heard the Canadian genuinely laugh. It was different than they ones he usually heard, while most were exaggerated and annoying, his was light and sweet. Gilbert decided that he wanted to hear more of that laugh and he opened his mouth to crack another joke but was cut off by the announcement of the club's leader.

"Okay everyone, gather 'round, aru."

* * *

**Translation:  
Bruder - German for Brother  
Dieu Merci**** - French for Thank God  
Je t'ai effrayé...- French for I was scared you... Thank you **1MsAwesome1** for th****e** corr**e**ction!  


**Also, for those who don't know it was rumoured that Lady Gaga was dating a Canadian man named Matthew Williams, hence all the Lady Gaga/Canada fanart on Deviantart xD**

**And anyone who wants to suggests names for the random coffee shop Alfred works at that would be great. I'm so bad with names. OTL  
**

**Oh! One more thing. I usually do this with my other stories but I haven't for this one and I've felt a little bad for it. Well, better late than never I guess. Thank you **MoreThenLikelyCrazy, Applesauce. the. brave, Jou-pup, Ever Essence, bombayxprodigy, black anime fan, Lady AnomAli, N.S-AmeBela, foxyaoi123, HappeDaez, QueenCelestiaxyv, Artificial Starlight, SoftlySweptAway, AlmightyHero, shinigamikarasu, PiratedxHearts, SecondtoNon, Kyiasune, A Bleach-Drinking Hetalian, Lethal Shuriken, Kezi-chan, GilboMattie, ChibiPandaChan, ArisaLyeanna, Silver and Gray, Fallende, Quilted-Dreams, Kiotona, Naruta13, Sakuton, crystalclear8, TheEvilMuffinToaster, Anon, herpaderp, Pirates VS Ninjas, Bakura From School, Kendall N.S., SpiegelofNowhere, lalaGAG, Golden and Berry, o-Vii-o, KuroFaara, QueenCelestiaxyv, Myriad Lapse, Stormy-chan59, PrussianAwesomeness, DearlyBeloved-13, kind-of-heart, Coolyb, ChibiGKItty, XxJuuichiNoChoushinseixX,** and **XxAlysxX** (GASP) for the reviews!  
I'm sorry if I missed anyone, there was more people than I thought that reviewed!**

**Hoped you enjoyed and please send me some more of your lovely reviews!**


	7. The Meeting pt2

**My gawd! My gawd! I'm almost at 100 reviews! –fangirlsqueal- It'll be my first story with 100 reviews my gawd! Thank you _everyone_** **who reviewed!**

**-cough- Anyways, long chapter is long. I didn't mean for it to be so long (the actual clubs less than half the chapter!) but I just didn't realize how long it was until after I was done writing it. Oh well, it's a good thing right? Slightly? Okay.**

**Now beta'd by **Tainted Tuesday** thanks again! =D**

**Again the character of Malaysia or Raiman belongs to **ArisaLyeanna **not me. Though he is fun to write.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it.**

**Please enjoy and help me reach 100 reviews! =D  
**

* * *

"Okay everyone, gather 'round, aru."

The Canadian followed Gilbert down the hall and into a large-ish room that seemed more suited for a board meeting than anything. He stood awkwardly in the doorway as Gilbert walked ahead and took a seat beside his stern brother. Matthew quickly scanned the room, trying to see if he knew anyone other than Lovino, Ludwig, Raiman, Kiku, Fe—

Wait, huh?

He quickly back tracked and stared down his math buddy, the shock apparent on his face. "R-_Rai?_"

Everyone, including Raiman, looked up at Matthew's exclamation and he shrunk against the door frame. He really didn't like being the centre of attention.

"Matt?" Raiman eyes were a bit wide, but he was nowhere near as surprised as his blond counterpart. Actually, when he was over the small shock, a glint of pride flashed in his eyes and he whispered something that sounded like 'I knew it' before scribbling in a notebook he held in his lap.

"Mmm, who's the new meat?" An older blond woman licked her lips towards the teenager and Matthew blushed furiously under her suggestive gaze. Yao stood and gathered everyone's attention away from the grateful Canadian.

"Everyone, this is Matthew, aru." Matthew waved meekly when a few people looked his way again. "He can—uh…" Yao looked back at the blond and most of the room followed his example. "…What _can_ you do?"

"I…um…" The stomach pains returned, but this time he ignored them. "I…see people's emotions in colours."

Silence is what followed his confession and he looked down at his shoes awkwardly. He knew this was going to happen. His ability probably sounded so lame compared to everyone else. Maybe he shouldn't have co—

"That is _so cool!"_

"Never heard that one before."

"It is nice to meet you, Matthew."

"What colour am I?"

Matthew looked back up with surprise on his face. Yao nodded before he continued, "Matthew is still new to registering people, so no one touch him without asking, aru!"

"Too bad," the blond women said slowly, enjoying the various shades of red she was causing the young boy to undergo. Seeing that Matthew was still standing at the door frame awkwardly, Gilbert opened his mouth to call for the Canadian to take a seat next to him but unfortunately someone beat him to it.

"Hey, over here! Over here!" A tanned girl with pink tails sitting on the other side of the table waved at Matthew as though he were on the opposite side of a football field. She shifted herself to the next seat over before patting on the chair she was previously on. "Right here! You can sit right here next to me!" She glanced at the monotone Asian she was previously beside, "And Kaoru!"

Matthew nodded and made his way around the table, not noticing the slight pout on the Prussian's face.

"Hi! I'm Michelle, but everyone calls me Chelles!" She said before he even had the chance to sit down. "It's nice to meet you, Matt!" She put out her hand for the other to shake but quickly moved it back to her side. "Oh! Sorry I guess I can't touch you but that's okay! It took me a _whole _week to get over my fainting bits." Matthew opened his mouth to speak but was promptly cut off. "Oh! That reminds me! Yao!"

"Yeah?"

"I learned a new trick the other day, can I show everyone?"

"Sure. After the introductions, aru."

Michelle crossed her arms in annoyance. "Aww…fine!" And with that she leaned back in her chair and puffed out her cheeks, a childishly angry look on her face. Matthew wanted to laugh, but found if he did she might get mad and he didn't want to make a bad first impression.

Yao stood and turned his back to everyone to face the blank wall. He poised his hand as if to start writing but from what Matthew could see held no writing utensil.

"So this is how it's going to proceed." He moved his hand as if he was writing and surprisingly, bright blue neon lights lingered from where he 'wrote', hanging in the air and forming words. The list was short, but honestly, Matthew was too transfixed with the beauty of the shining lights than what it actually said. Yao finished writing and turned back to the rest of the room.

"Today is going to be a short meeting because I have to go home and finish my essay." He pointed to the first word on the list, which read _introduction. _"We introduce ourselves to Matthew." He pointed to the second word, _updates._ "We listen to any ability updates we might have." The third word, _home_. "Then we go home, aru." He then removed the words with a swipe of his arm, any proof that they were there gone.

"I'll start this up." Gilbert said with a proud smirk, waving at the Canadian directly across from him. "I'm the most awesome person here, as you already know." More than half the room rolled their eyes at the Prussian's statement. "I get info through contact and yes Chelles," He gave Michelle a blank stare before flashing his gloves in her direction. "I'm wearing my gloves today."

Michelle stuck her tongue at the albino who maturely repeated the gesture back.

"My name is Bella." The blond woman said interrupting the small exchange, "I can make people feel good." She released a long breath and a pleasant tingle went up everyone's spines. "I would show you what I can really do, but I cannot touch you."

"Watch out for her, Matt," Michelle whispered none too quietly. "She's a cougar on the prowl and you're the kind of young meat she would love to sink her claws into."

"Who taught you to talk like that?" Bella sent the younger girl an evil glare while Matthew swore his face grew redder than a tomato.

"Raiman, though you know me." The Malaysian said next, adjusting his glasses. "I see people's personalities through flowers."

Matthew peaked up at that last one. "Oh, that would mean our abilities are very similar, eh?"

Raiman gave a hesitant nod, though something in the back of his mind told him that was untrue.

"Vash." The male beside Michelle stated bluntly. Matthew didn't know why, but something about the man was very frightening. From the way he was sitting with his arms crossed, to the way he seemed to stare everyone down with a 'don't-mess-with-me' glare was greatly intimating. "I can unlock anything, so long as I know what model of lock it is."

"Chelles!" The tanned girl cried happily, a large smile on her face. "I can cool things down, and heat things up! And this is Kaoru!" She reached around the blond and patted the Asian on the shoulder. "He doesn't talk much, but he can make shields!" She titled her head to smile at the dark haired boy. "Really pretty shields! You'll show him one day, right?"

Kaoru nodded, his face void of emotion.

"I'm Yao, aru. I can paint." The Chinese male said simply before glancing around at everyone. "And that's everyone? I assume you knew them, aru." He stated, nodding over to the Vargas brothers, Ludwig and Kiku. Matthew nodded back and Yao continued. "Okay then. Chelles, you wanted to show us something...?"

"Right! But first, I need some water!"

Yao handed her his styrofoam cup with the promised liquid inside and Michelle took it eagerly.

"Okay! Now watch this everyone!" She then closed her eyes and wrapped her hands around the cup, going completely silent. The rest of the room followed her example and watched the cup carefully. A few moments of nothing passed before a tiny bubble floated from the bottom of the cup to the water's surface. Another bubble followed, and another after that and before long the water was boiling furiously, stream rising off its surface.

"Aha!" Michelle cried victoriously, showing off the now heated water. "I can now _boil water!"_

Gilbert laughed and clapped mockingly. "_Boil water?_ Wow! And how long did it take you to do that? Four months?"

Michelle threw a dangerous stare at the albino. "Just because I'm not a _freak_ who activates their ability every time they _brush_ against someone—"

"Michelle!" Yao exclaimed, standing when he noticed Gilbert's clutched fists. "We do not call people freaks here!"

"He started it," the girl retorted childishly, glaring at Gilbert again. The albino scowled before glancing towards Matthew, who was shrinking back from the angry female. He didn't want that kid's already low standards of him to lower even more. Swallowing back his anger, he uncurled his hands before he leaned further back in his chair.

"Bitch." He said under his breath, but the girl still heard it.

"Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't kick your butt!"

"Sorry." Gilbert said with a shit eating grin, ignoring his brothers 'will-you-behave' stare. "_Female dog._"

"_Okay_, aru," Yao quickly interrupted before the situation could escalate any further. He turned his attention back to the tanned girl and the cup of water. "Does it work on all liquids?"

"…What? Oh, um, no. Just water," Michelle answered with a pout. She cooled the liquid down before handing the cup back to Yao. "I tried it on anything I could reach, too! Juice, soda, milk, smoothies, even alcohol! But I could never heat them to the boiling point."

"And just where did you get alcohol, miss grade-schooler?" Bella asked with a smirk.

"Hey, last year of grade school, thank you," Michelle replied proudly. "And next year Kaoru and I are gonna _rule _high school! Right Kaoru?"

Kaoru nodded, his face void of emotion.

"Okay, aru. Any other news?"

And that's how the rest of the meeting continued. They told stories about what new things they had discovered about their abilities – Vash having learned that even if he didn't know the model of the lock, he could still get it open it if he knew of the contents behind the lock. And when they ran out of updates they simply talked about anything and everything. From rock music to school to what new movies they were excited to see in the summer. Though Matthew didn't talk much, he was content to just sit back and watch everyone else as they joked around with each other – or fought in Michelle and Gilbert's case. He was glad that they were all a normal bunch and not the strange slightly egotistical people he for some reason imagined them all to be – he made a mental note to exclude Gilbert from that list and for some reason that thought made him laugh. But unfortunately, all good times must come to an end, and a measly hour later he found himself outside the office, talking with the group of people that formed the club.

"That's my mom!" Michelle yelled as a car pulled into the parking lot. She spun around to face Matthew, not seeming to care that the action caused the hem of her dress to fly up dangerously. "Can I touch you now, Matt?"

Though she meant it innocently, Matthew still couldn't help the light flush that appeared on his cheeks as he slowly nodded.

"Great!" She clamped her smaller hands over his, and Matthew surprised himself when he didn't pass out. Well, he felt a little drowsy, but that was it.

"Good to meet you Matt! Promise to be friends with me when I go to high school next year, okay?"

Matthew nodded, knowing he wouldn't be able to get a word in edge wise against the girl. She smiled largely at the blond.

"Okay then! I'll see you next week! Let's go Kaoru!"

Kaoru nodded, his face void of emotion as he followed the energetic girl away. Matthew shyly waved back before he turned to the people who were still there, which included most of the people from his school and Yao.

"Let's go Matthew." Yao said, mentioning to his car. Matthew nodded and made to follow but was stopped when someone tugged on his arm.

"You should come with us Matteo!" Feliciano said with a smile. "Your house is closer to ours anyway, and I'm sure Ludwig wouldn't mind!" He paused to look back at the German. "You wouldn't mind, would you?"

Ludwig also paused before he shook his head.

"Just hurry up!" Lovino called, crossing his arms stubbornly. "Mom doesn't like it when we're late!"

"So you're getting a ride from them?" Yao asked, one foot in his car. Matthew paused before feeling Feliciano's grip tighten around his arm. Though he wasn't sure he wanted to be in the same car with the Italian's brilliant yellow colour he figured he had no say in this situation. So he nodded.

"Okay, it was nice to meet you Matthew. See you next week, aru." He gave one last wave before stepping into his car and starting the engine. Feliciano took this as his chance to leave and he dragged Matthew over to the German's car, which didn't turn out to be the 'Awesome mobile', fortunately, but a light grey Grand Prix.

"Hey West, let me drive," Gilbert demanded, holding up his hand for his brother to toss him the keys. What he got was a glare.

"_No_, East. Grandpa trusted me with his car and the last thing I want to happen would be you crashing it."

"Hey at least I have my G2! You shouldn't even be driving alone yet!"

Ludwig turned a light pink before he opened the door to the driver's side. "Just get in the car, bruder."

"Shotgun!" Feliciano yelled happily, letting go of Matthew to run towards the car and secure his front seat. Matthew released a small sigh of relief for having his arm back before he climbed into the back seat after Gilbert. This put the albino in the middle with Lovino and Matthew at his sides and Feliciano and Ludwig in the front. Lovino scoffed at the Canadian's presence and Matthew squirmed about uncomfortably under his stare. Feliciano, noticing the blond's distress, poked his head over the head rest and smiled.

"Don't worry about Lovi. He's just embarrassed because he called you cute."

Lovino stuttered and glared at his younger brother, his face glowing. "W-w-why would you even say that?"

Gilbert laughed at the Italian's distressed face as Feliciano titled his head in confusion. "Ve? But that's what you told me last night…"

"I told _you! _Not everyone else, idiot!"

Thankfully the faint buzzing in his pocket gave Matthew an escape from the awkward situation and he mumbled a small 'excuse me' (which went unheard) before he answered the phone.

"_Bonjour?_" He greeted as Ludwig finally grew exasperated and started to drive.

"_Ah…_" The person at the other end paused at Matthew's French and the blond mentally kicked himself. Although he'd been living out of Quebec for years now, he still sometimes answered the phone in his native language.

"S-sorry, I mean hello… it's Matthew speaking."

"_Williams-kun! I-you sound quite different on the phone."_

"Oh, Kiku, hello."

"_You did not tell me that you were getting a ride back with Ludwig-san," _Kiku stated bluntly and Matthew could hear his annoyed undertone. Matthew suddenly felt guilty.

"I'm sorry."

"_It is fine, but please eat something before you see Alfred-kun."_

"…Oh." So that was what this was about. He was just being loyal to the promise he made Alfred, not concerned about him. "Okay, I will…"

"_Yes, please take care Williams-kun. Good bye_."

Matthew mumbled a small good bye back before he hung up and returned his phone to its original place, quickly pushing any self-pity to the back of his mind. Well, now that the meeting was over with and his nerves had calmed down, he could feel just how hungry he really was. Damn, he couldn't even remember a time when his stomach felt so empty. Why couldn't he _over_eat when he was nervous like a normal person?

"Hey lets pick up some food, I'm starving," Gilbert suddenly proclaimed as if he was reading his thoughts.

"Yeah, let's get pizza!" Feliciano chirped, bouncing up and down in his seat. "Pizza! Pizza!"

"Are there any good pizza places around here?" Lovino wondered aloud, looking out the window to see what street they were on.

"There's Mario's a block over…"

"And you're paying for this?" Ludwig asked his brother, fully expecting him to say no.

"Yep, it's my awesome treat!" Gilbert answered, surprising the Vargas brothers as well as his own brother. He saw everyone's surprise and frowned. "What? I just got a lot of money for selling pictures of West here on the internet."

Ludwig spun around to face his older brother his face red. "You did _WHAT?_"

"Um, Ludwig—"

"You should be flattered they sell well."

"So you _were_ taking pictures of me when I was getting out of the shower!"

"The road, bastard!"

"No it was the shower fairy, of course it was me!"

"WATCH OUT!" Matthew shrieked and Ludwig turned back around to notice he was heading straight for a lamppost. Everyone screamed in unison as the German sharply tugged on the steering wheel and managed to just avoid collision. Silence took hold of the car as everyone tried to still their beating hearts and Ludwig thanked whatever gods were out there that there were no police around to see that.

"…Feliciano." The shaken Italian looked towards Ludwig. "Where was that pizza place you mentioned?"

/ / / \ \ \

An hour later and Matthew found himself sinking his teeth into the doughy treat, praising whatever genius invented pizza. He knew he should probably try pacing himself, especially since it seemed as though they had just received the pizzas moments ago and he was already on his third slice, but he was just so hungry. No one noticed but Gilbert who was sitting beside him.

"Hey Birdie, slow down or you'll kill yourself." Gilbert commented, rubbing the now sore spot from where Ludwig had hit him moments before. Matthew made sure to shallow his food before answering.

"S-sorry. I haven't eaten in a while and well…"

Gilbert raised an eyebrow at the blond. "'A while'? Why don't you eat?" His eyes flicked over his small frame. "Don't tell me _you_ think you're fat."

"What? Oh, no!" If anything he wished he weighed a bit more so that his family would stop trying to shove food down his throat. "No, I just…uh…" He dropped his already quiet tone to a dead whisper and Gilbert had to lean in to hear it. "Don't eat as much when I'm nervous…"

Matthew then turned away and looked out the window embarrassed, while Gilbert reeled back and stared at the Canadian incredulously. He just couldn't believe it. He had never met anybody, older or younger, male or female, who was as freaking _adorable_ as this pansy in front of him. Up until this point he was a bit on the fence as to how he should proceed, but now he knew exactly what he was going to do. He was going to woo Matthew. Hell, no one that cute should be _allowed _to exist in the world and not belong to him. As sneakily as he could so he could not raise suspicion from the other males in the vehicle, he nudged a glove off his hand.

"So Matt." Gilbert started, shifting himself so that he could try and brush against Matthew's exposed skin without the other noticing. He just managed to succeed in his mini mission when the blond turned to face him. "Tomorrow is the start of an awesome weekend and, uh…"

C'mon, c'mon a place that Matt likes to go to so that he could invite him there… god, why the hell was it so hard to pull info from this kid? He was getting the same information that he got when he first touched him at the start of the week, has nothing new happened since then? Oh! Wait, something new! Argh, he didn't need to know that Matthew thought Michelle was cute. Wait, he thought Michelle was cute? Argh, damn it!

"Is this your street Matthew?"

"Hmm?" Matthew looked out the window at Ludwig's words and by doing so moved out of Gilbert's touch. Gilbert inwardly cussed before drawing back his hand, knowing that if he tried to grab for the Canadian again it would be far too obvious.

"Yes this is my street. My house is the next one on the left."

Ludwig nodded and parked the car in front of Matthew's lawn. Matthew smiled at the German.

"Thank you for driving me home Ludwig."

"Any time, Matteo!" Feliciano replied for the German, who simply returned Matthew's smile with a curt nod. "We'll see you next week right?"

Matthew nodded. "I'll be there, thank you again." And with that he opened the car door and exited the car.

… …

Wait no! It can't end like this! The awesome Gilbert Beilschmidt didn't lose to anyone! _Especially _not pansy Canadians!

"Hey bastard where are you going?"

Gilbert stepped out of the car and looked back to the two Italians and his brother. "The awesome me will be right back, don't miss me too hard."

He shut the door before he could hear the insults he was sure Lovino would throw at him before jogging off to catch the Canadian before he reached the front door. "Wait!"

Matthew stopped when he felt the hand wrap around his wrist and he turned to look at Gilbert in confusion. "Gilbert? What…" He trailed off when he noticed a certain un-gloved hand on his skin and he tugged his hand back. "S-sorry I—"

"Its fine," Gilbert quickly reassured with a grin. He had finally gotten a location out of the kid! It wasn't much, but it was all he had to work with right now. "Anyways, I was just planning of going to the park tomorrow and I thought it would be awesome if we went together."

Matthew blinked at the other. "Really? I was just thinking about going to the park tomorrow too…"

Gilbert's grin grew. "Awesome. So you want some company?"

Matthew paused. No one outside the family had ever asked to walk with him before. Sure, sometimes he met with people as he was walking and they joined him, but never had anyone asked beforehand to come. "Well, um, o-okay."

Success! "Sweet, I'll come pick you up at one." And before any further plans could be discussed Gilbert turned and jogged back to the car, his triumphant smile hidden from the Canadian's view.

/ / / \ \ \

"_Arthur! Arthur! Look Arthur!"_

_The British man looked up from his novel to see the young boy holding up a rather impressive looking stuffed rabbit, his eyes shining with happiness._

"_Mommy got it for me!" He exclaimed, bouncing on his heels in excitement._

_Arthur blinked at the rabbit, slight surprise on his face. "Oh, is your mother back Alfred?"_

_Alfred stopped bouncing and he hugged the rabbit to his chest. "No…" He answered sadly, but quickly perked up and looked at his nanny with a large smile. "But Mommy and Daddy are gonna come and take me out for my birthday this weekend! They promised!"_

_Arthur nodded, forcing a smile as he patted the boy on the head. "Of course they are, lad." _

_He felt pity for the boy. If he knew his parents—if being employed under them for three years counted as 'knowing'—then they would probably just send their son some expansive gift while they go vacationing in Europe. "What are you going to name it?" Arthur asked, quickly changing the subject before he grew depressed._

"_Matthew." The young blond answered easily before he trotted away to introduce his rabbit to the other stuffed animals. The Brit sighed. Of course, he should have seen it coming, Alfred named everything Matthew. His stuffed animals, toys, pets, objects, his…well, everything!_

"_There's been something I've been meaning to ask you," Arthur started, setting his novel aside and walking towards the child. Alfred looked up and smiled largely._

"_What?"_

"_Don't say 'what', Alfred that sounds rude. Say 'yes' or 'what would you like to ask' or something like that."_

"_Okay. What do you want to know?"_

_Good enough. "Why do you name all of your things 'Matthew'? It's a fine name, don't get me wrong but…" He trailed off when he saw the smile on Alfred's smile disappear and he stared at nothing with wide eyes._

"_I…I…" Alfred started, his eyes darting about the room as if trying to find something that would answer his own question behind his eyes. "I…I _don't remember." _He suddenly reached up and curled his fingers tightly around his blond hair tears flowing freely from his eyes. "WHO IS THAT BOY WHO LOOKS JUST LIKE ME, ARTHUR? I DON'T KNOW WHO HE IS!"_

_Arthur grabbed onto Alfred's wrists and tried to tug his hands away from his hair. "CALM DOWN ALFRED!" He yelled when he managed to get the boys hands away from his hair, only for him to begin trashing about blindly._

"_TELL ME ARTHUR!" Alfred cried. He wrestled wildly against the older man's grip uselessly before he slowly gave up, allowing the sobs to wreck through his small body. "Why won't you tell me…just tell me if he's _real."

Alfred woke with a small start, a thin layer of sweat dripping down his forehead. He lay there panting, slowly waiting for his heart to settle down. Ah… he hated having dreams like that. He knew he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep until he made sure his brother was really in the next room and not just a figment of his imagination like he was when he was young.

Throwing the covers off his body and swinging his legs over the bed he glanced at his clock. Two in the morning… oh Mattie was not going to be impressed but he knew he had to get this over with quickly before his mind started to play tricks on him. He pushed himself onto his feet before carefully exiting his bedroom, making sure to be as quiet as possible so he wouldn't wake his sleeping parents. Thankfully his twin's bedroom was right across from his own, meaning he didn't have to walk down the hallway and try to remember which floorboards creaked. He gently opened the door to his brother's bedroom and shut it behind him, the faint noise causing the other to turn in his sleep. Alfred walked up to the bed and silently watched Matthew as he slept.

Wow… look at how realistic he was, from the slow raising and falling of his chest, to the way his faint breathing would cause that one hair to fly away from his face only for it to flop back. It was amazing what technology could accomplish nowadays. This one model must have cost a fortune—wait, no! NO!

Alfred shook his head as if he were trying to shake the ludicrous idea from his head. No, this Matthew was _real_, not something bought by his devilish parents—rest their souls—to confuse him! Argh, he knew he wouldn't be able to quill these stupid thoughts until he heard from him himself. So he placed a hand on the others shoulder and gently shook him.

"Mattie. _Mattie," _he whispered as loudly as he could. The other blond responded by swatting Alfred's hand away before he slowly stirred from his sleep. Alfred waited patiently as his look-a-like rubbed his eyes sleepily and tried to focus his tired eyes on him.

"Alfred?" He yawned before looking at the glowing numbers beside his bed. "It's late, is something wrong?"

Alfred opened his mouth to answer but found that no words came to him. He felt guilty, for having to ask this question again and again, and to always gather the same response. Of course, seeing as he was probably just some doll with limited programming, him always giving the same response shouldn't be too surprising-aaarhh!

"You…" Alfred finally started, raising a hand to poke his twins arm. It felt real, as it should. "Are you…real?"

Though Alfred couldn't see his facial expressions in the dark he still saw the relaxing of the other's body, as if his whole being had just said, 'oh…'

"Alfred…" The other blond reached forward blindly and managed to grab onto his brothers wrist. He pulled it down and placed the hand on his chest, over his heart. As soon as Alfred felt the thumping of the others heart beat any doubts he had of Matthew's existence disappeared.

"See? I'm right here, full of blood and guts and all that fun stuff."

Though he couldn't see it, he was sure the other smiled and a faint chuckle escaped him as well. There was a short silence before Matthew let go of his brother's arm and let it drop back to its owner.

"You staying with me tonight?" Matthew asked, shifting aside and giving his brother more room to slip into his twin bed. Alfred eagerly accepted the invitation and wasted no time in wrapping his arms around his brother and resting his head on Matthew's chest. This was the real Matthew. He still found it a little sad that even after more than four years later he still doubted if Matthew was real, but Matthew always accepted his craziness with a smile. Damn, he had the best twin ever.

"I love you Mattie," Alfred said yawning, the rhythmic beating of Matthew's heart lulling him to sleep. Matthew smiled running his hand through his brother's hair and closing his eyes.

"I love you too, Al."

* * *

**I really just want someone to burst into their room and yell 'GAY' just to ruin the moment (I'm not cruel lol)**

**Also if you didn't catch it, Michelle = Seychelles, Bella = Belgium, Kaoru = Hong Kong, and Vash = Switzerland (though that's cannon). And no, these are _not_ the only other people with abilities in the story, they're just the ones that showed up to this meeting…ohohoho. **

**So, before anyone asks, no, there is no America/Canada, in the romantic sense in this story. Though if you want to interrupt that as such you can. I write them as awkward brothers though, just saying.**

**Thank you **o-Vii-o**,** PrussianAwesomeness**, **N.S-AmeBela(oho maybe)**,** Naruta13**,** Nelfan(…I'm sorry what?)**,** XxAlysxX(I _hate_ starbucks)**,** kind-of-heart(that 'long' made the review long xD)**,** ArisaLyeanna**,** Tobigoesbang**,** Golden and Berry**, **TriforceKat **and **HappeDaez **for the reviews!**

**If you enjoyed it please leave a review and thank you! =D**


	8. The Park

**Oh meh gawd guyyyyyssss! I'm finally over the 100 review mark! This is the first story I've ever had hit the 100 review mark and I'm very pleased about it! Thank you everyone who reviewed! Next milestone, 150, we can do it! YAY!  
**

**Anyway, welcome to the 8th chapter of Colours! If you're on this chapter than I can only assume that you like it so far, so thank you for reading it tis far!**

**Beta'd by the talented **Tainted Tuesday**. Thank you for editing my horrible, horrible grammar! =D (I'm getting a bit better I swear)**

**Special shout out to **bombayxprodigy** for being my 100th review! Your reward will be making me crepes, haha!**

**Diclaimer: You know I don't own. Yep.**

**Please enjoy and review!  
**

* * *

Gilbert checked himself over in the mirror. Looking awesome as he usually did of course, no one would be able to resist him. He smiled, his red eyes glinting in excitement as he exited his bedroom and grabbed his house keys. He had actually woken up _early_ for this event (eleven o'clock in the morning. On a Saturday!). So being late would be like a slap to the face to both himself and his lovely soon-to-be-his Canadian.

"Where are you going?"

Ah, damn it. Gilbert turned to face his blonder brother, who was glaring at him from his bedroom door, his arms crossed. The albino rolled his eyes at the other before descending the stairs.

"Out."

Another set of footprints closely followed his and Gilbert let out an annoyed sign. Seriously, didn't he have anything _better_ to do?

"You do know what today is, right?" Ludwig asked to the male's back.

"Yeah, I _know_ what today is."

"So?"

"So I'm going out." Gilbert reached the front door and slipped on his shoes, swooping down to tie up his laces.

"_Easten, _you shouldn't be going out of the house today! Not when you're…" He trailed off, though Gilbert still grew angry.

"When I'm _what?_" He snapped, straightening up and rounding on his larger brother. "Crazy? Mentally unstable?" He stared his sibling down, daring him to respond. Ludwig remained silent. The albino made an annoyed clicking noise before turning back towards the door. "I'm leaving. I'll call if I need you." And with that, Gilbert walked out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

Ludwig shook his head and sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Great, the day had barely started and he could already feel a headache forming. He turned on his heel and started for the kitchen, a sudden urge for coffee increasing. It would seem as though he would have to change his plans for the day to fit with his selfish brother's.

Damned idiot…

/ / / \ \ \

"I wanna come."

"Alfred you're not coming."

"Mattieee~!"

"Alfreeed~!"

Alfred pouted angrily at the Canadian over his toast and Matthew rolled his eyes. Maybe he shouldn't have told him he was going on a walk with Gilbert. But honestly, he didn't see what the big deal was; he must have been on dozens of walks with Katyusha. He repeated his thoughts to the other and Alfred scoffed. "Please, that's because it's _Katyusha_. She actually _apologizes_ after hurting a fly!"

It was true. It has happened more than once.

"Alfred, let your brother be more sociable." Francis walked into the kitchen and placed a small kiss on both his sons' foreheads before moving to the fridge.

"But papa!" Alfred whined. "You don't understand! Mattie's befriending a troublemaker!"

The Frenchman looked over the fridge door at Matthew. "Mathieu, are you befriending troublemakers?"

_Yes. _"No."

Francis nodded before looking back into the fridge. "Well there you go. Now what do you want for brunch?"

Alfred pouted at his brother before finishing off his feeble piece of toast. "Waffles."

"You had waffles yesterday."

"Hamburgers, then."

Francis wrinkled his nose at the thought of the greasy food before directing the question towards Matthew, knowing Alfred would only insist on those two items.

"I don't know," Matthew said shrugging. "I'm not really that hungr—"

_"Mathieu."_

"French toast," Matthew answered, naming the first thing that came to mind. "And that reminds me." He turned to his twin. "I forgot to give back Kiku's lunchbox. Can you give it back to him for me?"

Alfred opened his mouth to protest but closed it when Francis came up from behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Alfred, why don't you spend the day with Kiku and let Mathieu spend the day with his friend, hm? I'll give you some money to see a movie or whatever you want to do."

The American turned to look at his dad with disapproving eyes. "But papa—!"

"You want to make yourself food?"

Damn it, Alfred knew he couldn't say no to his father's cooking. He pouted at him before turning around and crossing his arms like a spoiled child. "No…"

"Then it's settled." Francis gave his son's shoulder a small squeeze before taking his hand back. "Have fun on your walk, Mathieu." He winked at the blond and Matthew returned the gesture with a small smile.

Meanwhile, the other twin waited until his father turned away before he looked back to Matthew and narrowed his eyes as if to say, 'this-isn't-over-yet'.

Matthew rolled his eyes yet again and crossed his arms over his chest. 'Oh-yes-it-is'.

"Hey papa, where's Arthur?"

"Hm? Arthur?" The older man questioned, not looking up from preparing their food. "He's just in the shower."

Matthew quickly told himself he didn't see his father lick his lips.

"He should be down soon. Why? Are you going to ask him to join one of those famous walks of yours?"

Matthew shook his head. "No, just curious."

And that was that. Throughout breakfast Alfred continued to try and bring up Gilbert and his trouble making ways (which grew increasingly awkward when Arthur came down to join them) and Matthew continued to interrupt him – mostly through kicking. By the end of the meal he was sure he as least caused his brother to bruise.

"You should stop playing hockey," Alfred complained, rubbing his now sore leg.

"You asked for it," Matthew retorted, crossing his arms. "Both dads know about Gilbert and they know I'm going on a walk with him. You don't need to make it into a big deal."

"Wrong. They know _of_ Gilbert, they don't know _about _Gilbert. Freakin' egoistical, leather wearing freakish—OW!"

The doorbell rang as Alfred hopped around on his even more injured leg.

"I hope you know he's just trying to get in your pants!" Alfred called and Matthew couldn't help but roll his eyes for the, who knows how many times that morning, as he opened the door. Gilbert smirked at the younger blond.

"Hey Birdie. You ready to go?"

Matthew returned the smile with a small one of his own. "Yeah, let's go." He quickly grabbed his keys before exiting the house.

"Mattie!"

"Goodbye Al," Matthew called before closing the door behind him.

"Bothersome brother?"

Matthew sighed and locked his front door nodding slowly.

Gilbert smirked. "We must be soul mates; my bruder was on my case this morning as well."

Matthew shrugged. "He's like this whenever I meet someone new; it took him a while to stop freaking out over… Katy... usha…where are you going?"

Gilbert looked back at the Canadian who was standing further up the street. He raised an eyebrow. "The park."

Matthew pointed in the opposite direction from where the albino was heading. "The park is that way."

"Yeah, if you want to go the long way." Gilbert nodded his head towards the direction he was heading. "My way's shorter."

Matthew paused. He had been to the park more times than he could count, and never had he come across a path from that direction that would lead them to their destination. Nevertheless, he turned around and walked towards the Prussian. It was just another route; why not find out if it really was a shortcut?

Gilbert smiled at his small victory before he began to walk alongside Matthew. "So you go on these trips often?"

"Well, whenever I can I guess," Matthew replied with a shrug. "I like the fresh air."

They rounded the corner to end up in a small pathway that led to a busy road. Though Matthew didn't know how going this way would lead them to the park, he chose to trust Gilbert (though he wasn't too sure if that was a good idea…).

They continued to talk as they walked along, Gilbert leading them from what Matthew believed was further from the park. After they crossed their second busy intersection, Matthew decided to speak up.

"Hey Gilbert, are you _sure_ this is the right way?"

Gilbert nodded. "Of course it's the right way! We came this way once before, don't you remember Max?"

…What?

"Um…no, and its Matt."

Gilbert turned to Matthew and raised an eyebrow. "That's what I said. Unlike all those other unawesome people, I can remember your name."

Huh? Matthew was almost sure that Gilbert had called him Max rather than Matt. Oh well, maybe he just heard him wrong…?

"Hey girly, what are you doing out here?"

Both teens looked over at the mocking tone to see a group of teenage males surrounding one female down another street.

"Aren't you needed back in the kitchen?" The group laughed and Matthew lowered his head. They would have to pass them to continue on their way and he'd rather not be seen.

"Let's go," he whispered to the albino before he continued along. It took him a couple steps to realize the other was not following. He turned back to see Gilbert staring at the larger group with a furrowed brow and a set jaw, as if struggling to remember something.

"Gilbert?" Matthew turned around walked up to him. "Are you okay?"

The Prussian continued to stare; showing no signs that he even heard the blond. Then, suddenly, he started towards the group. "Hey!" He called, and Matthew lost his breath as the males turned to glare at Gilbert.

"Five against one?" Gilbert stopped just a couple of feet away from them. "How pussy of you."

Matthew could do nothing but watch in horror as the largest male, whom he assumed was the leader, walked up to Gilbert.

"Listen, Whitie," he practically spat in the albino's face. "Why don't you just go back to your little boyfriend and mind your business?"

Gilbert did not back down, if anything he moved in closer to the intimating male. "But it is my business. You don't harass people to make up for your lack of dick."—At this the other males narrowed their eyes dangerously—"No matter how small it might be."

The four other males broke away from the female and surrounded the Prussian and Matthew swore his heart stopped. If just seeing it nearly gave him a heart attack, he could only imagine how Gilbert was feeling.

"Hey." The leader harshly grabbed onto Gilbert's bare arm and Gilbert had to fight back his smirk. The jerk fell for it. "You albino _freak,_ I'll give you one last chance to leave he—"

"I'm not the one who's going," Gilbert answered coolly, as if he wasn't surrounded by five guys all bigger than himself. He let his smirk show as he leaned in and whispered something into the leader's ear that Matthew couldn't catch. What he did catch however was the male's face paling after hearing what Gilbert had to say. He let go of his arm before taking a few steps back and gave Gilbert a hateful stare.

"Let's go," he demanded and the other four males turned to him confused.

"But—"

"JUST GO!" The leader barked and instantly the other boys broke away and followed the flustered leader away.

As soon as the goons were a good distance, Matthew slowly made his way up to the albino, still shocked by what happened. As he walked he saw Gilbert begin to talk to the fem—wait, on closer inspection that wasn't a girl, but a male in a skirt! Wow, if it wasn't for his broad shoulders and deep voice he never would have guessed that he was a…well…he!

"Well thanks Gily for being my, like, knight in shining armour or whatever," the cross dresser thanked, placing his hands on his hips in a feminine matter. "But I can, like, totally take care of myself."

Gilbert rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Don't think I did it for you, girly. I did it 'cause those guys needed to know of my awesomeness."

The boy flicked his shoulder length blond hair back. "You've never called me girly before." He looked flattered, though that quickly turned to suspicion. "What's, like, up with you?"

"Gil!" Matthew cried, having finally reached the albino. "W-what were you thinking! Are you okay?"

Gilbert wouldn't help but smile at the blond's worried expression. He really was cute. "Course I'm fine! No punk can harm the amazing me!"

"I…" Matthew had to pause to try and allow his heart to calm down. Damn it, why did it seem that he was the only one affected by what happened? "Just…just what did you say to him anyway?"

"Hm? Oh, apparently the jerk has two girlfriends that don't know about the other." Gilbert shrugged as if that was perfectly normal. "Don't know how the guy could manage that though, freakin' ugly as shit."

Matthew simply blinked at the other before he began to laugh. It wasn't because of what the albino said was funny, oh no, it was a laugh of relief and confusion. Relief because Gilbert was alright, but confusion because he wasn't sure if he should applaud by his bravery or be angry at his stupidity.

"Uh…right." The cross dresser turned to Gilbert and quirked his hip flamboyantly. "So are you going to like, introduce us or something?"

"Fine." Gilbert gestured to Matthew, who was just getting over his small laughing fit. "This is Matthew. Matthew." He gestured towards the other male. "This is Feliks."

"Hi~ it's always nice to, like, meet Gily's new boyf—" he paused when he noticed Gilbert making frantic hushing gestures behind Matthew. "I mean, like…one of his friends."

Matthew waved shyly. "It's nice to meet you too."

"Right, right, introductions are done." Gilbert placed a hand on Matthew's back and gave him a gentle push in the right direction. "But we need to go now. Stop wearing such freakin' frilly…stuff and maybe you won't get beat up all the time."

Feliks pouted at the retreating figure of Gilbert and crossed his arms. "You didn't complain about it last year!" He yelled as the two rounded the corner.

"So who exactly is Feliks?" Matthew questioned after a few moments of walking in silence. "He looks a little familiar; does he go to our school?"

Gilbert nodded, though he continued looking ahead with a troubled look on his face. "Yeah, and he always went to school in drag until this year. I'm surprised you didn't notice him before."

Matthew looked over at Gilbert. He didn't know why, but for some reason something about him seemed a little…off. Then again, he wasn't sure if he knew him well enough to know when he was being off. Perhaps it was just a weird day.

"Why did he stop this year?" Matthew questioned telling himself that if anything was wrong Gilbert would tell him if he wanted to.

"'Cause his bodyguard graduated," Gilbert answered with a shrug. "Guy's terrible at standing up for himself. Anyways." Gilbert stopped and turned to the large building they were currently in front of. "Here we are."

Matthew looked at the building with a questioning look. "Um, Gilbert this is the library."

Wow, this is so far from the park. How had he not noticed how far away they strayed? Also...why the heck did Gilbert lead them to the library?

Gilbert nodded and looked over at the public building with a shrug. "Yeah...we better hurry if we want to get Mr. Joseph's assignment done by Tuesday."

Matthew looked between the library to Gilbert. "Oh, um...did you want me to help you with your school work? I-if you had told me before I could have gotten my library card..."

Gilbert threw up his arms in exasperation. "God Jeanine, this is the third time you've forgotten!" He turned away and pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance while Matthew stared at him, incredibly confused.

"What...?"

Gilbert sighed before he turned back to face Matthew with a small smile, which looked out of place on his face. "You know what? It's fine. If anyone can finish up the song before the due date, it's you."

Okay, now he was just completely lost. He gave Gilbert a suspicious look. "Gilbert? Are...are you okay?"

The smile slipped from the Prussian's face and he blinked at Matthew as if realizing he was there for the first time.

"Gil...bert?" He put a hand to his head and shook it. "Shit...that's my name, isn't it?"

What was...what was going on? Matthew watched as Gilbert turned away once again and held his head in his hands while mumbling something to himself. Was he going through some kind of amnesia or something? Should...should he take him to a hospital?

"Gil..."

"Call my brother." The albino handed the blond his cell phone, which he hesitantly took. "Tell him to come here, 'kay?"

"Um—"

"Matt just do it!"

Matthew quickly fumbled about with the phone, getting to the dial pad when he realized he didn't know Ludwig's number.

"What's his number?"

"It's under Westen!" Gilbert informed and Matthew hastily found the number and called it. Ludwig's response was almost immediate.

"_Bruder?_"

"Oh n-no it's Matthew, Ludwig..." He glanced over at the pale man who was now squatting close to the ground, his head still in his hands. "There's something wrong with Gil, he—"

"_Where are you?"_

"Eh? Oh, um...in front of the library..."

_"I'll be there soon."_

And without a goodbye, Ludwig hung up. Matthew looked back to Gilbert and went to stand beside him, awkwardly holding his phone back to him. "Ludwig should be here soon. Gil, what's going on?"

Gilbert paused for a moment before he looked up at Matthew from his spot on the ground. "My name...its Gilbert, right?"

Matthew slowly nodded. He may not understand what was going on, but having Gilbert recall his identity seemed like something he should help him with. Gilbert smiled up at him.

"But you called me Gil."

Matthew nodded again, a faint blush on his face. "I'm sorry, i-if you don't want me to call you that—"

"No," Gilbert's smile grew. "I like it. It's cute when _you_ say it...Mattie." He then took back his phone with a wink and Matthew couldn't help but feel his blush deepen. He looked down away from Gilbert and shuffled about awkwardly, not knowing what to say. Fortunately he didn't have to say anything, for a familiar looking Grand Prix pulled up in front of them. The passenger's window rolled down to reveal a concerned looking Feliciano.

"Matteo!" He called. "How's Gil? Is he okay?"

"Um..."

Gilbert stood at the Italian's voice and faced him with an angry expression. "No, I'm not okay! I'm confusing my awesome self for a bunch of people I don't even care for!" He paused before turning to Matthew. "Who am I again?"

"Gilbert."

"Right..." He visibly deflated with a heavy sigh. "Let's just go." He grabbed onto Matthew's wrist and pulled him into the backseat of the car along with himself. The blond allowed him to do so, knowing that the persons inside would have answers.

"Seat belts on." Ludwig demanded—mostly to Gilbert—before he drove off.

"Hey brotha'!" Gilbert cried annoyingly. "What is _up_?"

"I told you _not_ to go out today!" Ludwig roared, his grip on the steering wheel tightening dangerously and Feliciano could do nothing but cower in his spot in the passenger's seat. "But you did so anyway! Why? Because listening to me would have been the _sensible_ thing to do, wouldn't it?"

"Ah shut up Johnny!" Gilbert yelled back pointing at his brother accusingly. "You're just jealous because mom brought me to the baseball game and not you!"

"Um, Gilbert that's Ludwig."

Gilbert looked between Matthew and his brother before sinking deeper into his seat. "Ah..." Was all his said before making a mental note to stop talking.

Meanwhile Matthew finally worked up to courage to ask, "Um, can I ask what's going on? Is...is something wrong with Gilbert?"

Matthew waited for someone to start explaining things to him, but was only met with silence.

"Um..." Matthew started again uncertainly. Maybe he should be the one to guess. "Does it...does it have something to do with his—"

"My ability? Spot on," Gilbert answered with a smirk. "Can someone else explain it for me? I'm going crazy here!"

There was a short silence after that, only broken by a long sigh from Ludwig.

"...Because of Easten's ability, he is able to learn a lot about others in a very short period of time." His brow furrowed as he focused on the road. "He learns things like people's birthdays, their relationship with others, what they like and so on." He glanced up at his mirror to see if the Canadian was following him. Matthew nodded dumbly, Ludwig continued. "Now the more information is gathered, the harder it becomes to separate other information from his own."

"So every six months or so I'm reduced to thinking I'm other, less interesting people!" Gilbert finished, his voice dripping with false joy. "That wonderful or what?"

Matthew turned to Gilbert with pity in his eyes. He really did feel sorry for him. He couldn't imagine what it must be like to lose your identity bi-annually. "I'm sorry Gil. This must be really hard for you..."

Gilbert scoffed. "It's nothing the fantastic me can't handle!" He paused. "...I mean awesome. The awesome me. That's right, right?"

The car then slowed to a stop. Matthew looked out the window and was surprised when he saw they were in front of his house.

"I'm sorry for my bruder's behaviour, Matthew," Ludwig apologized, an undertone of bitterness present in his voice. "But it's best if you go home for now and leave him to me."

"Wait, what are you going to do?" Matthew questioned. "Is there some way to make Gilbert remember who he is again?"

"Ve~ even I don't know how he does it," Feliciano said as he looked at Ludwig with a small pout. "And I've been asking for years!" He looked back at the Canadian with a smile. "But don't worry! Gilbert should be back to normal by tomorrow!"

"Or as normal as I can get," Gilbert mumbled with a small laugh. Matthew looked from Gilbert to Feliciano to Ludwig before a small sigh escaped him.

"Alright." Besides, what better place to leave Gilbert than with his own brother, right? "Thank you for the drive, Ludwig." Matthew thanked before he stepped out of the vehicle. "I'll, um...I'll talk to you later Gil."

"Bye Mattie!" Gilbert called before Ludwig started up the car again and drove away. Matthew watched them until they rounded a corner and disappeared from sight. He stood there for a while, continuing to stare as if expecting the car to come back and for everyone to say that this was a big joke.

This was so scary; thinking that simply having an ability could cause something like that to happen. He thought that learning about other people's abilities would give him the courage to use his more often, but after seeing that...

Matthew shook his head before he walked back to his house. He wanted to use his ability more, he really did, but he didn't want to...he didn't want to...

"Alfred?"

Matthew looked up at his British father from the doorway and Arthur blinked at his violet-blue eyes.

"Oh, sorry Matthew; I thought you were your brother."

"Oh, that's okay," Matthew replied before closing the door behind him and kicking off his shoes. Arthur nodded, placing his hand on the stairway railing beside him and idly drumming his fingers against it. He hated to admit this, but he was a bit nervous. With Francis working and Alfred out with his friends, this left him and Matthew together...alone. He couldn't even remember the last time this happened.

"So, uh, how was your walk?"

Matthew gave a half-hearted shrug. "Um...okay."

"Ah."

Silence.

"And school?"

"It's, um...it's school-like."

"Ah."

Silence.

"I'm ah...I'm g-going to do some h-homework now," Matthew lied terribly as he walked past his father and started up the stairs.

"Matthew! Wait!"

Matthew stopped and turned back to the sandy haired man. Arthur hesitated when Matthew's gaze turned to him.

"I, er, I just wanted to tell you that...You know you can talk to me about anything, right lad?"

Though Arthur had said those same words to him dozens of times, something about this time seemed to affect Matthew more than usual. He fully turned around so that he was facing the other male.

"Well, okay. Um..."

Arthur's eyes grew a bit wide in surprise. This was the first time Matthew had actually ever accepted his offer. Could it be that they were finally becoming a bit closer? He leaned forward almost eagerly as he waited for Matthew to collect his thoughts.

"I...I have this friend," Matthew started timidly, and Arthur was forced to lean in closer to hear it. "And my friend...um... he...plays...soccer." It was the first thing that came to mind, but he would have to work with it. "And he just, um, witnessed someone from his team get a really bad injury while he was playing soccer and now he doesn't know if he wants to keep playing anymore!" He looked at Arthur with desperation in his eyes. "What should he do?"

Well, obviously Matthew was speaking about himself and not this 'friend'. But to what problem in his life Arthur had no idea. "Matthew, is this about hockey?"

"N-no!" Matthew stuttered uselessly. "I-it's not me it's my...actually, it's okay. I'm going up to my room." Matthew turned back around and ascended the stairs further.

"Matthew! Wait!" Arthur called for a second time, this time choosing to chase after him. Matthew again stopped and turned back to face him, forcing the Brit to abruptly stop before he ran into the smaller form.

"If he really enjoys the game so much then he should continue playing regardless," Arthur finally answered. "He should be a bit more careful playing, but if he stops now then he's certain to regret it when he's older."

Matthew's eyes softened. _Regret_...that's right...if he never used his abilities again, then that would just be a waste. He was certain he had this power for a reason...right? His eyes met with his father's green ones and held it.

"Thank you, Arthur."

Pale yellow with a tiny bit of orange in there and...blue? He was...scared? What did he have to be scared about?

"Anytime lad," Arthur answered, and his yellow grew just a bit brighter. "Anyhow, your father will be working late tonight, and so I thought I'd try my hand at cooking." Arthur missed the look of horror on his son's face. "So what would you like?"

Perhaps he didn't know why Arthur was scared, but _he_ sure had a reason to be scared now.

"Y-you know what? I...I found an i-interesting recipe on the int-internet the other day! I'll cook!"

Arthur waved it off. "No, it's quite alright, lad. You do your homework and I'll co—"

"No, it's okay, it's a really cool recipe!" Matthew interrupted before turning around and rushing up the rest of the stairs. "I'll go find it now!" He called over his shoulder before he ran into his room and closed the door behind him. Great, now he had to find a good recipe and fast! He wondered towards his laptop and turned it on.

… …

...There was something a bit off about Arthur's colours. They seemed to hold a bit more...intensity than other people's colours. Kind of like Raiman's or Michelle's did...did that mean that Arthur had...

Matthew shook his head with a small laugh, completely dismissing the idea before it could be fully formed.

Nah.

* * *

**Fail on Matthew's part .-.**

**MMMM Teach me how to write Gerrrmmaannnnyyy. I love him as a character but every time I write him he comes out as a jerk, dammit!  
Writer Fail on my part.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading! Please leave a review and until next time! ^^**


	9. Embarrassment

**My god, two chapters in a week's time? I must be doing nothing but writing fanfiction for you guys! (...the sad thing is it's true, I'm so bored with my life .-. Oh well! I enjoy writing!)**

**Anyways, welcome to the Ninth chapter of Colours! A couple of Warnings for this chapter,**

**Warning One: Beware the Angry America! He's so angry he can eat ten burgers in three minutes! (Though he could probably do that when he's not angry too but whatever)  
Warming Two: Oh Dear is that a Make out scene I see near the end of the chapter? Oh dear. If you don't like reading those, then I suggest you skip that part.**

**And I believe that's it! Thank you **Tainted Tuesday** for the Beta and I hope everyone enjoys!**

**Disclaimer: Some guy in Japan owns the characters not me. I just make fun of them ^^  
**

* * *

"So he just ditched you and went home? What a jerk!"

Matthew frowned at that, taking a moment to sidestep a couple of oncoming students. It was Monday morning, meaning the weekend had passed and school had resumed. Matthew had decided to walk with his brother to his locker, seeing as his classroom was in the same direction.

"It wasn't like that, Al. He wasn't feeling well, so we ended it early." He decided not to tell his brother about Gilbert's identity crisis. Gilbert would probably want that to stay a secret.

"He looked perfectly fine when he came to our house. He was probably faking." Alfred stopped in front of his locker and began to fiddle with the lock.

"Faking? Why would he be faking? It's a walk in the park, not an exam!"

"Well I dunno." Alfred shrugged, managing to open the lock. "Weird people do some weird thin—ARRRGGH!"

Students hastily backed away and papers were flung into the air as Alfred slammed into the locker doors across from his own. Matthew jumped, startled, before joining the rest of the students in the hallway in staring at the American with wide eyes. It grew silent then – or as silent as a busy morning hallway could get – as everyone turned back to the self-proclaimed hero's locker to see just what had frightened him so much. Two red balloons slowly and gracefully made their way down to the floor, and instantly Matthew understood. Whoever had put those balloons in there did not know that Alfred had mild globophobia.

It started out small, but within minutes the whole hallway was laughing at the poor American's plight. Alfred straightened himself out and fixed his clothes. Though his face was beet red, he still tried to look as if that was exactly what he wanted to happen.

"Hey! Alfred!"

He turned at his name to see—oh god no. Why did...why the _hell_ was Emmett here? Wasn't his class in another direction? But there he was, standing right up at the front, surrounded by random females as he usually was. If God existed, he hated him.

"You better watch out, my friend! You don't want those deadly balloons to come and get you!" Emmett threw back his head and laughed, his pearly white teeth standing out against his dark, perfect, skin, ah, god damn, he was so freaking _hot _and he was _laughing at him! What the hell?_

The sharp ringing of the warning bell echoed throughout the halls forcing the students to disperse. Matthew, deciding to stay, timidly reached down and grabbed the balloons by the string. He stood there awkwardly, making a mental note to ditch the balloons later.

"Uh..."

"_Who the hell_—!" Alfred hissed venomously, startling the Canadian. He stormed back up to his locker and slammed the door back open. Flowers. The guy had the nerve to leave god damn _flowers._ And right there, in the middle of the bundle, lay an envelope. And on that envelope, in big letters read:

KOREA

Even without a name, he knew exactly who it was. More calmly than he felt, he gently closed his locker and placed the lock back on.

"I'm gonna _kill_ him."

"E-eh?"

Alfred turned to his brother in surprise. In his rage he had forgotten that the other was there.

"Mattie!" Alfred huffed, struggling to keep his anger down while he addressed his younger twin. "You should...you should go to class. You don't want to be late." He made to pat Matthew's shoulder, but noticed that he was holding the balloons and quickly retraced his hand. "A-anyway, you have that hockey thing tonight, right?"

Matthew slowly nodded. His brother's mood swing unnerving him.

"Okay, listen. If you get home before I do, tell dad that I'll be home later, okay?"

"Well, sure, but where are you going?"

Alfred's expression darkened, and for just a moment, he allowed his anger to appear in his voice. "I have to pay a visit to someone _special_." And without elaborating, the American walked off. Matthew watched him for a while, silently debating if he should run after him when the second bell rang. Knowing that he was now late for class, the Canadian quickly scampered off, balloons and all.

/ / / \ \ \

It was approximately an hour after the school day had ended, and Alfred found himself in front of the shack used to keep gym supplies. He didn't really want to be here, especially since it was the Korean himself that had asked him to come but this gave him the opportunity to be alone with Yong Soo; meaning no witnesses. An evil smile tugged on his lips at the thought and he opened the door. It was unlocked, just like the letter said it would be. The male inside turned at the creaking of the door and smiled at the expected American.

"Hi Alfred!" He exclaimed. Alfred said nothing, he simply stepped inside and made to close the door behind him.

"Wait!"

Alfred complied and Yong Soo reached over and flicked on a small light.

"Okay."

Alfred fully closed the door behind him and they were engulfed in a soft orange light. The blond ignored the various balls and sports supplies and made his way to the Korean.

"I'm glad you came, da~ze!" Yong Soo exclaimed with an innocent smile.

"Well, I have a _special_ reason to be here."

Yong Soo's smile widened, not noticing the dark look on the other male's face.

"Yeah! That's why I got you flowers and balloons!" Alfred's eye twitched at the confession. "Thought we were moving too fast, da~ze. Though I didn't know you were scared of balloons." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and laughed, and Alfred's anger grew stronger with each passing chuckle. "Though it is kind of funny! Afraid of ballo—"

And before Yong Soo could finish up his thought, he found himself pinned against the wall. Random dodge balls and equipment jumped off their sleeves from the impact, but neither of them seemed to notice.

"You _bastard!"_ Alfred spat. "You embarrassed me in front of the _whole school! _And you think you can get me some stupid _flowers _and make everything better?" The Asian opened his mouth to speak and Alfred shoved him against the wall harder. Yong Soo shut his mouth, Alfred continued. "And you know who was there laughing it up with everyone else? Emmett! The _one_ guy I want to impress was _right _at the front! Cracking jokes along with everyone el—" He stopped when he noticed Yong Soo's expression of...sadness? Wha...? He looked pretty scared when he was first pinned against the wall, but when he mentioned Emmett he... Alfred's grip on the Korean's shirt loosened as confusion became his primary emotion.

"I don't think you understand, da~ze," Yong Soo said softly. He reached up and placed his hands on Alfred's arms. Not in a 'please get off me' kind of way but in a...comforting...way...?

"I _like _you. Please let me be your boyfriend."

A pregnant silence promptly followed with Yong Soo smiling hopefully at him and Alfred staring back with...with...uh...

"...Are you bloody _MAD?"_ Alfred yelled, far too incredulous to notice his British slip. "I came here with the full intention of kicking your ass and you ask to be my _boyfriend?_"

Yong Soo nodded eagerly and Alfred, slightly disgusted, roughly pulled him away from the wall and shoved him towards the badminton rackets. Yong Soo bumped into them but somehow managed to keep himself upright.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You don't even know me!"

"That's not true!" The dark haired teen argued, walking back towards the American despite the fact that if he came any closer he was more than likely to get punched in the throat. "You're Alfred F. Bonnefoy-Kirkland! The hero of the school! You're in grade ten and so far your best subject appears to be gym."

Alfred rolled his eyes, getting more and more tempted to just punch him in the eye and get it over with. Pretty much anyone who bothered to hold a simple conversation with him knew that much. Freakin' Kor—

"But it's not. Your best subject is actually American history, isn't it?"

Alfred blinked at that. Well, it was but—

"You like fruit and cake but never together. You wanted to join the swim team because of Michael Phelps but didn't make the cut. You prefer warm weather over cold, dogs over cats and you can't go to first period class before eating or drinking something first, or else you can't focus!" The Korean finished proudly and the American could do nothing but stare.

"...Are you stalking me? 'Cause if you're stalking me—"

"No! No, I'm not stalking you!" Yong Soo answered, looking mortified that the American would even _think_ of such a thing. "I just, I pay _attention_ to you, Alfred! You deserve to be known as more than the self-proclaimed hero of the school. You're more than that!" He reached forward and grabbed onto the blond's hands. "_A lot_ more."

Self-proclaimed? He wasn't self-proclaimed! He _is_ a freakin' hero damn it! Alfred tugged his hands out of the other's grasp and turned away. Damn cheeks, why the hell are you heating up? "...Why do you like me so much?" Alfred had to ask. Seriously, the two had only met three times before, and every single one of those times involved yelling.

"You're unique, da~ze," Yong Soo answered quickly. "You're nice, though quick to act. I think you're cute and...you have a good soul."

Alfred turned back to look at the Korean at that. A good soul? Just how much more cheesy could this guy get? Seeing the blond's confusion, Yong Soo continued.

"I knew it since the first time I met you. It's rare to find someone with a good soul like yours."

Alfred opened his mouth to make some kind of witty comeback, but surprised himself when no words came out. He, for some strange reason, wasn't even angry anymore. He was...flattered? What the heck was that about? Damn emotions.

Yong Soo, seeing the other's features no longer held any anger, decided it was safe to get even closer. He walked up to Alfred slowly and carefully, as if expecting the American to flee, should he do anything rash. He reached him and softly lay his hands on the other's arms, leaned forward and—

Got a tongue shoved down his throat.

It wasn't even the Korean who had initiated the sexual act. It was in fact the American, and that wasn't because he felt anything for Yong Soo, oh no. Though Alfred was a bit flattered by the Asian's words, it certainly took more than _that_ to sway him. So why was he kissing him? Well, despite popular belief, Alfred was not as stupid as he let on. He knew that if he left the shack with the way things were, the annoying ninth grader would not leave him alone until he got what he wanted. And so, he would give him what he wanted and more and more and more until it became too much. This would scare the Asian away and he would never be bothered again.

And so that's why he was kissing him. French kissing him. _Hard. _He figured that it wouldn't take long for the other to crumble. After all, he was a freshman, how far would he want to go?

And that's why it surprised him when Yong Soo kissed back just as hard. But Alfred F. Jones, er, Bonnefoy-Kirkland or whatever his last name was now, didn't lose to anyone! So he fought back, grabbing hold of Yong Soo's dark locks and pushing his face closer to deepen the kiss. They blindly stumbled about for a while. Yong Soo eventually had his back slammed against the wall once again, though this time for a different reason. Hands began to randomly grope at each other, both of them inexperienced, but neither of them caring. Alfred himself had only gone this far with one other person. His old girlfriend, Roxie. However, before they could take it any further, she broke up with him. Lousy slut.

Alfred grabbed onto the hair just above Yong Soo's neck and sharply tugged back, effectively pulling their lips apart before he started to suck on the other's collarbone. He tried to make it as clear as possible that he was leaving a mark behind, by sucking roughly rather than kissing, and yet the Korean _still_ didn't protest! Not a 'What are you doing?' or 'Stop!' or even a push or a shove. No! The only noises coming from Yong Soo were small moans and squeaks of pleasure which only encouraged the American to suck harder. After leaving a large hickey that Alfred was sure would bruise, and still not receiving his desired reaction, he did the most forward thing he could think of. He swooped down and grabbed onto the bulge in the Asian's pants.

Yong Soo gasped in surprise, his legs suddenly growing weak and he leaned heavily onto Alfred for support. "W-wait, da~ze!"

Ah, finally! Alfred quickly released the other before he stopped everything completely, awaiting the other's declaration of defeat.

"I..." Alfred didn't notice the Korean gulp before he continued. "There are some condoms in my backpack."

"_WHAT?_" Alfred yelled, completely removing himself from Yong Soo's body. "Aren't you a little...with someone you just...you don't lov—I mean..." Alfred then grew silent, now fully comprehending what had just happened. My god...he practically _raped_ the poor kid! And for what reason? He couldn't even remember anymore.

Meanwhile, Yong Soo slowly let himself slide down the wall until he hit the floor, shaking visibly. He was glad the other stopped when he did, or he would have run out while Alfred was looking through his backpack. He certainly wasn't ready to do..._THAT_ yet. Especially with someone he didn't love. Well, maybe in the future he would love Alfred, but that time was not now. He really hoped that all this was just the American's way of trying to scare him, because he still wanted the other to be his boyfriend, and when he was over this, he would continue to try and make that into a reality.

"Um...this is awkward, da~ze."

"Yeah, um...we should go."

"...Okay..."

And so, in awkward silence, the two picked up whatever they had knocked over before they both exited the shack. They gave each other a simple goodbye and had a silent agreement that they would never speak of this again before they went their separate ways.

Oh well, that whole thing did not go as Alfred planned. If it had, by now he would be skipping home with bloody knuckles. Now he was walking home with an intense feeling of guilt. Ah damn it, from now on if he was going to beat up someone, he would beat up someone. Alfred sighed, shaking his head as he walked and well, that's when he noticed it. A particular something that would have been rather embarrassing if he had passed anyone.

He was...well he was hard.

Not stiff enough that it would be like a tent in his pants, but just stubborn enough for it to be noticeable. He glared down at it. Just how long had that been there for? Was it there when he was cleaning up that shack? Or had it just happened now? Well, whatever caused it, he hoped, _hoped_ that it wasn't because of Yong Soo. It better not have been from Yong Soo. It wasn't from Yong Soo. It could have been from Yong Soo. Argh! Whatever!

Alfred pushed himself against the school wall, hoping to hide himself from anyone passing by, should there be any. Okay, what he needed to do now was think unsexy thoughts so that he could walk home without being classified as some kind of pervert. Alfred closed his eyes. Right, unsexy thoughts, um...a dog pooping, er, rocks...balloons...uh...Arthur's eyebrows! Ah, there we go. Alfred glared down at his pants once more.

"Traitor," he accused before he began the walk home.

* * *

**Globophobia – the fear of balloons. (For some reason I can totally see America fearing balloons, I guess I'm just weird –shrug- )**

**What I love most about America's sideline is that his relationship with Korea moves _too_ fast, and Canada's relation with Prussia moves _too_ slow. So it's like a perfect harmony for me, the writer, to write both fluff and smut. Awww, it's the little things in life.**

**Thank you **winterdarknessXD, Sakra-Reed, KuroFaara, o-Vii-o, HappeDaez, Nelfan, QueenCelestiaxyv, My-Emo-Sunshine, bombayxprodigy, XxAlysxX, Naruta13, Kendall N.S., PrussianAwesomeness, kind-of-heart, daitoshi, Gaarahottie, ArisaLyeanna, Fushica, DisregardMeKindly, The . RED .Phantom, fan girl 666, SilverMoonPhantom **and **BakuraFromSchool **for reviewing my last two chapters! Sorry I didn't do that for the other chapter, I posted it up at like, 2 in the morning and was too dead to look up all the reviews. I know some of you know what I'm talking about.**

**Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed and please review!**


	10. Further Embarrassment

**Hey guys! Today is a special chapter for it is the tenth chapter of Colours! That's right! Colours is now at the double digit mark! YYAAYY!**

**Beta'd version up! Thank you **Tainted Tuesday**! =D**

**And that's it! Enjoy and review!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own.**

* * *

The school week came and went again Matthew found himself back at the club. Alfred was called in for work and was unable to join him, much to his disliking but it was what it was. The club was pretty much the same as last time though today there were two new additions to make up for the absence of Vash, Raiman and Bella. The first person was Feliks, the cross-dresser that Matthew had meet before on his walk with Gilbert. He was unaware that the other had any abilities, but apparently he could see the future in still images. The other addition was a younger and more timid boy named Ravis, who could tell the weather for up to two weeks at a time—he had told everyone that there was going to be rain at the next meeting and wouldn't let up until exactly seven fifteen.

The meeting was also longer than the one preceding it, meaning that as the discussions continued, people began to break into smaller groups and hold their own conversations. Ludwig, Feliciano and Ravis were off to one side having a discussion on European politics (which was actually Feliciano explaining why it was okay to kiss other people of the same sex in greeting, though both Ludwig and Ravis were protesting) and Yao, Lovino and Gilbert were beside them talking about various school gossip and stereotypes. This left Matthew, Feliks, Michelle, and Kaoru to gather around the back of the room and chat about when they had first developed their abilities.

"Apparently I was using my abilities since I was a little girl," Michelle decided to start, sitting at the edge of the long table and swinging her legs in glee. "My mommy said that when I was a baby she would hand me my baby bottles and I would heat them up for myself!" Michelle giggled at this. "Kind of cutting corners parenting wise, but I guess I can forgive them. Since then it's always been there. It's like a part of me now."

"I like totally didn't even know I was 'special' for the longest time," Feliks followed up, flipping his hand back before leaning forward slightly to tell his story. "It was like...two, three years ago? Well not since I got that message from Tony. He's like, totally the abilities expert or something."

Michelle and Kaoru nodded in agreement and even some people outside of the conversation turned to give a thumbs-up or a nod. Matthew titled his head in confusion. This was probably a really stupid question but...

"Um...who's Tony?"

Both Michelle and Feliks looked at him with wide eyes. Yep, definitely a stupid question.

"You don't know _Tony?"_ Feliks turned towards the albino and yelled, "Gilbert what's, like, your deal?"

"Whatever is it I probably did it better than you!"

Feliks huffed at the other's retort before he stood from his chair. "Whatever, Matt, you need to, like, totally meet Tony!" He motioned for the Canadian to follow him as he made his way out the room. Matthew glanced at Michelle who smiled largely at him in encouragement. He got up and followed after the Polish boy, the dark haired girl and her Asian companion coming along shortly. They left the room, walked down the hallway and turned into a smaller area with a white board to the side, a few chairs and two bulky computers in the back. Feliks went up to one of the devices and pushed the power button.

"Now while this is, like, loading up," Feliks started, motioning for the younger student to come in and sit down. "I'll tell you about Tony. Now, like, Tony is totally awesome! He's the guy who told me I had an ability or whatever. And he, like, created a place for people like us to talk and get guidance and advice." The computer finished booting up and Feliks turned his attention to it. "He's like, helped a lot of people."

"He's really mysterious though," Michelle chirped in. "No one's ever seen him before, and I've heard a rumour that he's actually..." Michelle lowered her voice as if telling a secret, "an _alien."_

"But that's totally just a stupid rumour," Feliks said, rolling his eyes. "Everyone knows that his parents are really super computers. Ah, here we go!"

Everyone turned their attention to the computer screen to find a forum site. It didn't look any different than any other forum, from its dark back round, large banner, and usual topics one would see like 'rules and regulations' and 'introduce yourself here.' However, as Feliks continued to scroll though the topics, the more and more particular it seemed. The categories ranged from 'ability help' to 'power advances' from 'rumours' to 'stories'.

"Yeah so, like this is Tony's Forum." Feliks explained, clicking random posts as he continued. "You can meet other people, talk about your own ability and like, totally pretty much anything that comes to mind. And it's like, totally reliable to, only people with abilities and close friends are allowed to join the site."

"But how does he know that people have abilities?" Matthew asked.

"He just _knows._" Michelle answered. "He just sends people information about his site and the password to get in. It seems like it's at random but it's _always_ people with abilities or someone who is tied to them closely in some way."

"Yeah, whatever, and you can totally send in a picture of someone and their name and he can tell if that person has abilities or not. It's like totally all freaky and stuff. He emailed me about his site but I deleted it 'cause I thought it was spam or something. So he actually sent me a letter in the mail. It was like, totally weird because there was no return address or anything, but that's how I found out I could see the future in still images."

"See, that's why people think he's an alien." Michelle argued. "We think he has some like...other worldly technology that we humans don't have yet."

"But, like, why would he need alien tech when his parents are totally super computers?"

Matthew ignored their ridiculous argument and focused on the computer screen. It seemed like a very shady way to do things, but it did bring people together. Right now they were on the simple topic that asked where people were from, and it seemed like no two people were from the same place and if they were they would promptly began chats to meet. Matthew couldn't believe that how spread out these people were. There were people from Norway, South Africa, Thailand, New Zealand, Brazil, Portugal and even Iraq! There were also a couple of people from Canada. Most of them he knew from the club, but a couple of them he never even heard of. Finally, curiosity got the better of him. "Can I send in my picture too?"

"Totally." Feliks answered. "You have a Facebook?"

"Yes."

"Oh my god, you should, like, totally add me!"

"Oh! Oh! Me too!"

They managed to find a picture of the Canadian off of Facebook— 'a, like, totally adorable picture too!'—and they sent it out to Tony.

"It'll take a couple of days for him to respond," Michelle informed. "It took him about four days to reply to me and about...two days to reply to Kaoru?"

Kaoru nodded, his face void of emotion.

"Oh! That reminds me!" Michelle turned her attention to the Canadian once again. "I wanted to ask you this last week. What else can you do?"

Matthew turned to the girl. "Pardon?"

"Well, seeing emotions in colours is cool and all, but everyone's ability is more than it appears! So what else can you do? Catch their bad habits? See people's true nature?"

Well now Matthew would be lying is he said he wasn't embarrassed. He found himself unable to look into the dark haired girl's eyes as he realized he didn't have an answer to her question. He _still_ hadn't worked up the self-confidence he knew he lacked to use his ability and find out if he really could do more. Though who knows, maybe he was just a one-trick pony. Michelle saw his discomfort and something clicked in her mind.

"...You don't use your ability much, do you?"

Matthew's silence proved to be his answer. The other three people in the room turned to look at each other. Michelle stood, a smug smirk on her face. "Well." She started, adjusting her skirt. "This looks like a job for Feliciano!"

Matthew titled his head in confusion. "Feliciano?"

"Yep! Now c'mon let's go get 'em!"

She led the march back to the other room—which Matthew hesitantly followed—and dramatically re-entered it. "Feliciano!"

And lucky for Ludwig, they seemed to come at a good time. Feliciano was just about to demonstrate how wonderful it was to receive a kiss as greeting every day, before Michelle and her party burst in. And so Feliciano looked away from the blushing German with pursed lips. "Hm?"

"We need your expertise!" Michelle elaborated and instantly the Italian understood. He pulled away from the blushing German and skipped over to the others, while Michelle and Feliks practically forced Matthew to the back of the room.

"Wha-what is this about?" Matthew questioned as he was pushed into a chair. Michelle stood behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders while Feliciano pulled up a chair directly across from the Canadian.

"Now don't worry Matt!" Michelle exclaimed happily. "Feliciano here is the club's guinea pig!" Feliciano smiled and eagerly nodded if it was a compliment. "So you can use your ability on him all you want! Well, as long as it doesn't hurt him."

Matthew glanced over at Feliciano and a small squeak escaped him when the other's yellow colour snapped into his vision. Dear god, he couldn't possibly concentrate on this person long enough for his ability to work, especially with that nauseating colour of his. He made to stand but the girl pushed him back down.

"Oh c'mon! You have a perfect chance to use your abilities!" She grabbed onto his face and sharply turned it so he was facing the Italian. "So go for it!"

A part of him wanted to comply with the girl's wishes, but most of him was just trying to do what he normally did when he came across the auburn haired teenager; never make eye contact. Though Michelle proved to be stronger than she looked and refused to let go of Matthew's sho—wait... what's this?

Matthew finally looked Feliciano straight in the eye for the first time and instantly noticed something. There was more than one colour! There was still Feliciano's main colour, which was a brilliant yellow-orange, but within that colour there were dozens more. There was quite a bit of pink over there, some green there and, oh, red. Well, even Feliciano could get annoyed he supposed. Some purple, the tiniest bit of brown and...what was that? It appeared to be a small black dot but Matthew knew it was a colour. He didn't know how or why he knew but he knew. But what was it? He found himself concentrating on it, hoping for it to grow. And it did, it grew and grew until it engulfed all the other colours. And it was...

Navy Blue.

Uh-oh.

As if on cue, Feliciano burst into body wracking sobs, instantly gaining everyone's attention.

"Feliciano!" Ludwig exclaimed, standing. He snapped his head towards Michelle, his expression intense. Michelle gave a surprised squeak before hiding behind Kaoru. "What happened?"

"I-I don't know!" Michelle defended. "Matt was just, _looking_ at him and—"

"Bastard!" Lovino yelled at the panicking Canadian. "What did you do to my brother?"

"I, muh, ah!" No! Now was not the time to panic! Now was the time to concentrate! _Concentrate!_ Matthew quickly focused on another of Feliciano's colours and forced it expand. Red. Shit. Not what he was going for. Feliciano stood so fast and so quickly that his chair practically flew backwards, narrowly missing a shaking Ravis. The Italian glared down at Matthew murderously. His fists clutched so tight his knuckles were white.

"What the hell are you doing to me?" In an uncharacteristic fit of rage, Feliciano swooped down and grabbed Matthew's shirt collar. In a real panic now, Mathew latched onto another colour and forcefully expanded it.

...Light blue.

Light blue...

Light blue was good.

To reflect his now much calmer emotion the Italian let go of Matthew's shirt and slumped and stumbled back into another chair, blinking wide eyed at absolutely nothing. He sat there, still. Still...so still...he was so still, stiller than any human should be. His eyes wide, his breaths laboured and inerratic. He wasn't the one who did this to him...was he? Cool breeze, clear cloudless sky as if the day itself was mocking him. Rough rubble. The horrible smell of blood. He was in pain but that didn't matter. The man's hair was slowly turning red and Matthew had no idea what to do. He was...he couldn't...why wasn't anyone coming to help him, why wasn—

"—tt? Matthew!"

Matthew was jolted from his thoughts when he felt hands upon him. He screamed, shoving the girl away from him before jumping out of his seat, stumbling backwards until his back hit the wall. His eyes darted this way and that, his breathing rapid. Where was he? Who was that girl who touched him, where was...

Then, like a slap to the face, he remembered everything. He was at the club with a group of his peers, a group of people who were like him. Looking about now with clear eyes, Matthew could see that everyone was staring right back at him. All of them with a question in their eyes but all of them too bewildered or confused to speak it. They all seemed frozen in their spots, except for Kaoru who rushed to his friend's aid as soon as she hit the ground. Matthew shrunk into himself. He didn't mean to hurt the girl, she was just so close and he was just...

Michelle, who was now upright with the help of her monotone friend, was the brave soul to break the heavy silence. "Hey!" She called to the Canadian. "What the _heck?"_

Matthew opened his mouth to apologize but found that no words came to him. He struggled to speak, but after a few moments of silence his embarrassment grew to its peak. He rushed out the room, too preoccupied to notice Gilbert attempt to reach out and grab him before he was pulled back by another.

So Matthew ran out the building, only stopping when he reached the back of the parking lot. He was shaking violently and basically on the verge of hyperventilating. He tried to calm himself, but every time he did that, the terrible image would pop up in his mind. The still body, the growing pool of crimson around his head—no, NO! Don't even think about it!

He leaned over the railing lining the parking lot, and released a very shaky breath. He wanted to be alone, away from these people, but there was no way to do that. He couldn't drive, and even if he did didn't have a car and he had left his backpack inside, which carried money he would need for bus fare. Bottom line; he would have to go back sooner or later...but after what he just did...

He felt a hand on his shoulder once more, but didn't overreact. He had a feeling Gilbert would came and bug him sooner or later. He turned around to face the albino but was shocked when he came face to face with Kaoru instead. A dull feeling appeared in the pit of his stomach. He was...disappointed?

"Oh, Kaoru," Matt greeted, his voice shaky and quiet. He paused to try and clear his voice and collect himself, though that didn't work out quite as he hoped. "I'm sorry but I—"

And that's when the Asian did something that Matthew would forever remember. Kaoru stepped forward, and pulled Matthew into a hug.

To say that the Canadian was surprised would be a grand understatement. Of all the people to hug him, Kaoru was probably the last person he would ever even consider. He had half a mind to push him away but surprised himself when he wrapped his arms around the other, buried his head in his shoulder and wept. A part of him told himself that he should be embarrassed by what he was doing, but honestly, right now, he didn't care. Kaoru was offering him comfort, and by god he was going to take it.

Unbeknownst to the Canadian, Gilbert and Yao stood farther away, watching the scene with hardened expressions.

"He was a difficult ability, aru." Though it sounded like a simple statement, Gilbert caught what the Asian was hinting at. He shook his head.

"No. No way am I taking Matt to that psycho."

"You might have to." Yao argued, turning to look at Gilbert. "And you know that, aru."

Gilbert didn't respond, but his set jaw and crossed arms were his stubborn retort. Yao frowned, now annoyed.

"Don't let your own personal feelings affect Matthew, Gilbert."

"I know what I'm doing!" Gilbert snapped, narrowing his eyes at the other male. "I've done this shit dozens of times! He doesn't need that asshole! He has the awesome _me!"_

And with that, Gilbert turned and stormed back into the building, obviously done with the older man and his advice. Yao sighed before turning back to the crying Canadian. He certainly hoped Gilbert was right about this, or Matthew might end up hurting a lot of people.

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**Angst filled Chapter FTW?**

**Hoped you enjoyed and please leave me one of your lovely reviews! =D**


	11. Dr John

**Hey guys! Kitty29 here with chapter eleven of Colours! Yay!**

**Thanks **Tainted Tuesday **for the last edit! I'll be sad to see you go but I know you need to focus on school. Go Go Fight Fight!  
And yay hit the 150 review mark! So thank you **fan girl 666 **for giving me me 150th review! Next goal, 200!**

**Please read and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: NO.**

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"Have you noticed that Mathieu has been acting a little...strange?"

The Brit took a sip of his tea before he turned to the concerned Frenchman. "Strange?"

"Yes. He is quiet...even more so than usual..." He paused to glance towards the stairs, where his teenage son was holding himself up in his room. "I am thinking of bringing him to the therapist today. It may be a day early but I think she'll understand."

Though Arthur didn't like to admit it, he felt a small pang of jealously at the mention of the therapist. Every time he felt like he and Matthew had gotten even a little bit closer, he would go to the therapist; then everything that Matthew even considered talking about with Arthur, he didn't want to talk about anymore. Arthur lowered his cup.

"No, it's fine. I can go and talk to him."

Arthur expected Francis to be grateful for his offer but was disappointed when Francis' frown deepened. "Really Arthur, you don't have to do that. I can take him—"

"Nonsense." Arthur interrupted, standing. "I wouldn't want to bother her. She's probably busy with someone else."

Francis chose not to reply, having caught the stern undertone in his husband's voice, and simply watched as Arthur walked up the stairs. He headed straight for Matthew's room and raised his hand to knock on the door.

"—'Kay I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to tell _anyone_."

"Sure Mattie. You know I can keep your secrets."

Arthur paused.

"Well, I um." Though Arthur couldn't see him, he could vividly imagine Matthew fumbling with his shirt nervously. "It's about...it's about my...ability."

Ability? Dear god, Matthew didn't still believe he could, what was it; see emotions in colours, did he? Arthur thought he took care of that years ago!

"Well...I was...on Friday..." Matthew's voice was slowly trailing into a quieter tone and Arthur could only catch some words here and there. "And...well...I was looking at...and..." The rest of what Matthew said just sounded like murmuring to the Brit, even with his ear pressed against the side of the door. Though he did hear Alfred's excited shout after whatever Matthew had to say.

"No way! That is _so cool!_ Seriously, you can become a superhero if you really wanted to!"

"NO, Al! This is _not _cool!" Matthew sounded annoyed, a rare occurrence. There was a bit of shuffling within, and as Matthew continued to talk the volume of his voice seemed to quiver. He was pacing. "I don't think you understand, Al. _No one_ should be able to do what I can do! I...I don't even know how to control it! And even if I did I-I still wouldn't know what I should do with it and I-I—"

"Mattie! Mattie! Calm down!" More shuffling and the pacing stopped. "Listen to me. If _anyone_ should be able to control it, it's you. So don't worry about it! I mean, God gave you this ability for a reason, right? That guy usually knows what he's doing."

Matthew laughed, a sound also rare to the Brit, and the two fell into a short silence.

"You know Al." Matthew started. "I...I've been thinking...about...about four years ago. You know...about the incident."

Arthur drew in his breath so that he wouldn't miss a detail. Neither Matthew nor Alfred talked about the incident, even when it was something that needed to be discussed. Inside was deadly quiet, and even though he wasn't in the room he could sense the sudden serious atmosphere.

"I think...I think what happened was because of m—"

"Arthur, what are you doing?"

Arthur leaped away from the door as if it was toxic and spun around to face his husband. "Francis! Don't you _ever_ do that!"

He glared at the Frenchman, though looked much less intimating with his face flushed with embarrassment. The bedroom door opened and Alfred stood there staring at the two angrily while a curious Matthew peeked over his shoulder.

"_Hey!_ Will you two fight somewhere else? Mattie and I are trying to talk here!"

He then slammed the door shut, leaving a red-faced Arthur groping at it. Francis looked at him in wonder.

"...Arthur, were you _eavesdropping?"_

Arthur hastily shushed him, looking about as if expecting one of his sons to appear out of thin air and overhear them. "Don't say those kinds of things!" Arthur whispered angrily. "I assure you I was not..." He paused and turned back to the bedroom door. Before when the twins spoke they were at least loud enough for him to hear mummers but now it was too quiet. Were they listening in on him now? He grabbed onto Francis' wrist and pulled him down the hall and to their bedroom and the Frenchman eagerly allowed him to do.

Arthur made sure the door was closed behind him before he turned back to his husband. "Now listen to me," Arthur said quietly, his face still a light pink. "I was not _eavesdropping! _I was simply passing by when I overheard some of their conversation!"

Francis couldn't help the small smile that made the way to his lips. He couldn't help it, his stubbornness was adorable. "Okay, honey."

Arthur frowned. He knew that Francis only called him honey when he was blindly agreeing with him simply because they were married. "I wasn't!"

"I believe you, honey!" Arthur's eyebrow twitched. "So, what were they talking about?"

Arthur paused. Though Matthew was being rather secretive about it, he supposed the Frenchman had the right to know. Matthew was _his_ son anyway. "If you must. I think that Matthew still believes he has—"

_A-HEM._

The sandy haired male blinked before he glanced over Francis' shoulder to see Princess Florina, his fairy friend, giving him an uncharacteristically angry stare. She crossed her arms and shook her head. Arthur was shocked. There wasn't much that could make his friend angry. Why were Matthew's affairs so important to her?

Francis gave a confused look before glancing back at what Arthur was staring at. Though he was looking straight at the fairy, to him it was just a wall. "...Arthur, what are you looking at?"

Arthurs focus snapped back to Francis. "What? Oh, um, nothing. It's nothing." He cleared his throat and straightened his shirt. "Anyways, Matthew, he still believes that he, um...that he isn't doing so well in school."

He wasn't sure he liked lying to his husband; though the look of relief on Francis' face was good enough for him.

"Oh, is that it?" Francis asked, not really expecting an answer as he shook his head. "There is nothing for him to worry about! He may not have straight A's but that does not mean he is a bad student!" He chuckled, finding humour in his child's unnecessary worries before he looked back at Arthur. "And that was all? They were not talking about anything else?"

The British man glanced at Florina. "...Yes."

"Good." Francis stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Arthur's torso, bringing their bodies together with one swift jerk. Arthur stuttered at the sudden action but barely had time to think before the other was on his ear.

"Now that I don't have to take Mathieu to the doctor we have some time to ourselves." He then began to lightly suck and nibble on the Brit's earlobe, enjoying the soft moans he was earning from his lover.

Arthur couldn't help but feel the pleasure build but he knew he couldn't do this now. Not when he still had some things to do and, oh god, n-no he couldn't do this, but ah...but...

But Princess Florina was looking right at him and giggling madly to herself. Yeah, he couldn't do this.

"Francis! Not now!" Arthur yelled, more to convince himself, as he pushed his lover away from him. "I still wish to take Matthew to the therapist and Alfred as well."

For the second time that day, Francis looked disappointed. "But why? They don't need to go, they're perfectly fine!"

"Oh keep your knickers on; I'll be back in a few hours!" He slammed the door behind him, the sound of a fairy giggling following him as he walked down the hall. He went past Matthew's room and instead turned into the bathroom, making sure the magical being was also inside before he closed the door.

He looked at the fairy and turned a light pink when he noticed the creature still giggling. Though he chose to ignore that and simply go straight to the matter at hand.

"_Florina!_ What are you doing here?"

Florina finally calmed down and landed on the counter, resting her wings.

_Do I need a reason to come and visit a friend?_

Arthur crossed his arms and raised a fuzzy eyebrow at the other. She sighed, a pleasant sound, before she relaxed and began to absentmindedly twiddle with her hair.

_...I was called here._

"Called here?" Arthur questioned. "By who?"

_...Perhaps 'called' was the wrong wording._

She scratched her cheek sheepishly.

_I was sent here to observe the young one._

Now that he wasn't expecting. He blinked at his companion. "Matthew? Now why would you be sent to watch Matthew?"

The fairy looked away from her human friend at that.

_I cannot tell you. All I can say is that I must observe the young one._

Arthur frowned at that but decided not to push the matter. He knew that when a fairy said that they wouldn't tell you something, they would _not_ tell you. He moved on. "Well, if you are only here to observe then why the hell did you stop me from talking to Francis?"

She became airborne once again and flew right up to the Brit's face, her arms on her hips and her expression stern.

_The young one wished to share his secret with only one other, and that other was not you. The fact that you do know of his secret is an accident. Spreading it further would be breaking the trust of one who loves you._

Well when she put it like that Arthur couldn't help the bit of guilt that rose in his chest. Seeing that she had gotten through to the other, Florina nodded.

_I must be going. I trust that you will make the right decisions from now on._

She turned around and cracked her knuckles, getting ready to use her magic.

_...It may affect the future more than you know._

With a flash of blue Arthur was left alone in the room. He stood there for a while, momentarily confused from the fairy's last words. He ruffled his hair in mild frustration before he left the room, deciding to blame the confusion on the race difference and get on with his life.

/ / / \ \ \

"How long are we going to be here for?" Alfred whined, rolling his head back and sinking deeper in his seat. "They've been in there longer than I was! What is she doing to Mattie?"

"Alfred, calm down!" Arthur demanded. They were sitting in the waiting room fully utilizing what the room was for, waiting. Alfred was finished with his session an hour ago; about the same time Matthew and the therapist had been talking. Though this was the usual length, Alfred's attention span only went so far.

Alfred huffed, grabbing a magazine and flipping it to a random page, glancing up at the door to the doctor's office every so often.

"Alfred! Really! Your brother will be out soon." Arthur sighed, exasperated. Though there weren't any other clients for them to make a scene, the receptionist seemed to glance over every now and then, smile, then go back to whatever. Finally, the office door opened and out stepped a relived looking Matthew.

"Ah! Mattie! _Finally!_" Alfred called, basically throwing the magazine back on the table before standing. Arthur opened his mouth to yell at his son but a feminine voice beat him to it.

"Hey! You break anything you pay for better furniture!"

Dr. John walked out of the room and bowed her head towards the adult male. "Hello Mr. Kirkland."

Arthur nodded back and stood. "Dr. John, I must speak with you."

The doctor smiled. "I'm glad you agree. Matthew! Alfred!"

The two looked up at their names. The brunette walked over to the twins and leaned forward a bit so that she was level with them. "Okay, boys. I need you to do me a favour. You see that guy over there?" She pointed to the receptionist. Both blonds nodded. "I need you two to go over and tell him he can start lunch early, and then follow everything he says, okay?"

"What's in it for me?" Alfred asked slyly and Matthew playfully pushed him before they both went chuckling towards the receptionist. The doctor straightened up and turned back to Arthur.

"Fredrick will keep them busy. Mr. Kirkland?" She mentioned towards her office, which Arthur entered before she closely followed.

Arthur had never been inside Dr. John's work office before and was surprised by its look. He expected some kind of regal looking room with diplomas from numerous schools hanging up to show off her experience. Though in reality the walls were painted a calming light lilac and various paintings spanning many different art styles and eras were hung. The furniture was also very modern, making it seem like an office in a fancy condo rather than a work room in a small building in the middle of nowhere. Now he understood why Francis liked her so much—and also because she was pretty, but that was beside the point. He hoped.

"Please take a seat." Dr. John motioned to the client couch before she settled down in her own comfy looking chair. She waited until the British man was settled before diving right into it. "I'm sure you have lots you wish to ask me about your boys. And I have some questions I would like to ask of you."

Arthur nodded. "Yes, that sounds fair." He leaned forward slightly. "I want to know what Matthew said at your session."

"Matthew? Yes, he has been a little...off as of late." She leaned further back in her chair and stared at one of the paintings on her wall, thinking. "Though he is almost a teenager now, it is a confusing time for many boys. Maybe he is just confused."

"Yes, well, that may be...it." He coughed into his fist before continuing. "A-anyways. Did Matthew ever mention that he could, well, _do_ things that others cannot?"

The doctor reached over and picked up a notepad on the small table beside her. Flipping it open to a seemingly random page, she pulled out a pen from behind her ear and clicked it to use. "I'm sorry, Mr. Kirkland. You will have to be more specific."

Arthur shuffled a bit in his seat. "Well, Dr. John—"

"Please, call me Eliza."

"Alright, Eliza. Has Matthew ever said that he could, well...see colours?"

There was a small pause before Eliza ah'd in acknowledgement before scribbling something down in her notepad. "Yes, he has told me about that. Now, about Matthew's eating habits. I know Francis said he gets three square meals but he has been looking a little skinny to me—"

"Wait, wait." Arthur interrupted, brow frowned. "You mean you _knew?_"

Eliza nodded. "About Matthew's eating habits? Yes, Francis was a little worried about i—"

"No, no!" Arthur couldn't believe it. One of her patients has told her that he could see _emotions in colours_ and she was more interested in his _eating habits?_ Wouldn't any _normal_ person find that a _little_ strange?

Eliza blinked at him, bewildered. "You mean you don't believe him?"

What was with her? "Of course not! And you do?"

"Of course I do!" Eliza countered, writing something down on her notepad again. Arthur couldn't help but grope at her. Great, leave it to his husband to find the one _insane therapist _in town!

"I'm sorry Mr. Kirkland, but this is Matthew we're talking about!" She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. "He couldn't lie his way through a wet paper bag!"

Well that was true, but still; you would think that she would at least tell_ him_ about anything off his son would say in those sessions. He was quiet disturbed that Eliza didn't see a problem with it! If she didn't think that this glaring problem was an issue then...

Arthur stood, looking at the doctor straight in the eye as he spoke. "Dr. John, I'm afraid your services will not be needed anymore."

Surprisingly, Eliza was completely calm about her dismissal. She simply nodded her head at the Brit, a small smile on her face. "Very well."

They stayed like that for a while before Arthur nodded his head as well, feeling a bit awkward. "Right, okay then, goodbye doctor." Arthur made his way towards the door.

"Just one more thing before you go."

Arthur stopped at the door and looked back at the doctor who was still smiling at him.

"How is Princess Florina?"

Arthur froze.

Eliza's smile widened. "Yes, I hear she's taken quite a liking to your family."

Arthur blinked again before he pointed at the woman, not seeming to care if it was rude. "...You...?"

Eliza nodded. "Yes, Mr. Kirkland. I can see them too; and I know they've been out observing." She gestured to her couch. "Please, sit. We have much to talk about."

There was a brief hesitation before Arthur complied, sitting back down and looking at the doctor in a new found light. "You...I didn't know there were people in Canada who could also see them."

"There are many others who can see them, but most of them do seem to be in Europe aren't they? But that's beside the point." She put the notepad back on the table to give her full attention to the Brit in front of her. "Mr. Kirkland, you know that there are others like you and me out in the world correct?"

"Yes, of course, I have met a few in London."

"Right, now Mr. Kirkland, you have what we would like to call an _ability_."

Arthur raised an eyebrow at her. He knew what she had to tell him would be ridiculous but he supposed he should hear her out. Especially since they shared a common gift.

"Now, there many different people in the world who have many different abilities. Ours is the most common, being able to see creatures, but there other abilities as well. Such as...seeing emotions in colours?"

"You can't possibly expect me to believe such..._poppycock."_

"Is it?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow. Arthur found himself unable to reply and Eliza picked up her notepad once again. "Mr. Kirkland, I am what is called a _guide_." She started while writing. "My job is to guide people through their fears, their hopes, and their future. My good deed is to guide people like us to the truth." She ripped a page out from her pad and handed it to Arthur. "You don't have to believe me, but at least check out this website." Just as Arthur was looking over the note, there was the sound of a door opening and closing from outside the room.

"Well then, it sounds like Fredrick is back." Eliza stood up and went over to the door. "I hope you will consider what I've said, Mr. Kirkland." She smiled once more before walking out the room. Arthur watched her go before he looked back down at his note.

Who the heck was Tony?

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**Ha Arthur sucks =D  
Sorry if this is a bit of an awkward chapter, usually ****England**** is easy for me to write but for something reason... Not here .-. oh well...**

**Thank you everyone who reviewed last chapter and if you enjoyed, leave me some feedback! And I like criticisms. Tell me what you like or don't like about the story! I can take it! =D**


	12. The Incident pt1

**Hey guuyz! Kitty29 her' with the 12 chapta' of Colours! Yayyy! =D (I'm almost sad to post it, my review mark was at 169 for a while, lol)**

**Sorry for the long wait, I blame the Gorillaz. Curse them for being so awesome! grrrr! -shakes fist-**

**SO yeah! Welcome to the second two parter of the story! Wooooooo! This chapter was getting long so I split it into two.  
(My gawd, I told myself i would only take an hour or so to finish up his chapter, and now here I am about six hours later (dies)BE GRATEFUL)**

**Disclaimer: Nothing's changed since yesterday! Still belongs to that one Asian guy who's name escapes me.**

**Please enjoy and review! =D**

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"Mattie! _Mattie_!" Alfred huffed childishly as he pounded on his brother's door. There was a faint 'what' from deep in the room but no sound of the person within getting up to answer. Alfred frowned at that. "Mattie you've been locked up in your room for a _week_!"

It was true, not counting school and therapist sessions Matthew was up brooding in his room. He had even missed the abilities club that week, much to the disappointment of Alfred, who had finally gotten that day off work.

"You're being more anti-social than usual!"

The only response he got was a heavy something hitting the door. Alfred groaned angrily.

"You know what? _Fine_! Be afraid of yourself! I'm already late for work anyway!"

The exaggerated retreating stomping told Matthew that his brother had walked away and he flopped back down on his bed with a sigh. Though Alfred was understanding of his situation at first, now he was pushing for him to talk to Feliciano and everyone again. Matthew just wasn't ready. After what he had done he couldn't even bring himself to eat lunch at the same table anymore. Instead he had begun to eat with random acquaintances that seemed to forget his existence after the casual greetings. He supposed that was his fault for befriending people who were usually busy on their lunch breaks.

He sighed again, clutching onto his stuffed polar bear for small comfort. He wasn't sure what he should do. Go back to pretending he was a normal teenager or find some way to control his ability? He buried his face into his pillow. Damn it, he didn't want to have any tough decisions before university!

Muffled beeping brought him from his rather depressing thoughts and he blindly patted about his hardwood floor and swatted away a pillow, his hand hitting the object he was looking for. He pulled his face away from the cushion so that he could look at his phone and see what it was pestering him about.

_1 Missed call: Awesomeness_

He blinked at the phone. He obviously know who this 'Awesomeness' was but couldn't think of a time when the other had gotten hold of his phone long enough to put in his number. And he even took and added a picture beside it! Was he really so out of it that he never noticed?

He nearly dropped the device when the person whom he was just thinking about called again. Without thinking, he tapped the talk button and brought it to his ear.

"H-hello?" He answered a bit unsure.

"_Hey, Birdie_," Gilbert answered casually back, _"Thought I would call and let you hear my awesome voice. Didn't want you to go without it for too long."_

Matthew gave a small nervous laugh. He knew Gilbert was talking about him missing the club the other day. "Sorry..."

_"Hey, don't worry about it, you didn't do anything wrong. If anything you spiced it up! It's been too boring since Yao knocked himself out with one of his paints a few months back."_

"Um, I...how...how does that even work?"

Gilbert laughed before explaining, "_Yao__ threw his 'paint' at one Kaoru's shields and it bounced back and smacked him right in the face! I tell you, Matt, it was an instant knock out!"_

"Wait, is that even possible? Are Yao's paints really that powerful?"

_"_..._Well, yeah probably. Anyways, this is about you Birdie. Don't think you can distract the awesome me!"_

"..." Now Matthew was a bit tempted to just hang up and go back to moping, but he knew that would be rude. No matter how much teenage angst he was feeling.

_"So you checked out Tony's forum?"_

Coincidentally Matthew had just received an email from Tony earlier that day confirming that yes, he did indeed have abilities along with a password to the site and three green dots, though he had no idea what those meant. Seeing as he now had the password he decided to lurk about the site a bit. He had looked around for someone who had a power like or similar to his but found nothing. So he thought he should make his own topic asking if anyone had an ability like his. He glanced up at his laptop, which had the beginnings of the topic written,

_Hello, my name is Matthew Williams_(the name he always used on the internet)_. I was just wondering if there was anyone out there who shared my ability. I can_...

That's where he stopped.

"Yeah, I've...looked through it."

"_Good, so you know what a guide is, right?"_

Well wasn't he one to jump to conclusions? "I...no."

There was a mumbled sound that sounded like a sigh. _"Fine, it'll just be something else I have to explain."_ There was a faint scratching sound on Gilbert's end as he continued. "_In 'ability' terms a 'guide' is basically someone who watches over a person who is new to their abilities and makes sure they don't kill themselves pretty much."_

"...So that makes you my guide?"

_"Yeah! And you're lucky 'cause now you have the awesome me to look over you!"_

"...Huh." So _that_ was why Gilbert was hanging around him so much. It wasn't because he wanted to be friends, it was because he had too. Matthew released a long depressing sigh as he allowed himself to sink deeper into self-pity. Again he wondered if he should hang up though the constant scratching noises from Gilbert's end had him curious.

"What are you doing?" He finally asked.

_"Projects, homework. School crap."_ Gilbert answered, not bothering to hide the bitterness in his voice.

"Really? I'd like to see that." Matthew didn't realize just what he had said until after the words left his month and his cheeks turned a light pink. He couldn't help it, he just couldn't imagine Gilbert sitting at a table and willingly doing schoolwork—though every time he tried Gilbert was wearing reading glasses for some reason. He didn't even know if the albino wore reading glasses. He would have to ask him later.

"I mean. I, uh—"

A sharp laughter interrupted his attempted explanation. "_So you wanna hook up?"_

"Wha-what?"

_"Hang out. I've been working on this thing for too long anyways, let's go somewhere. I know a good coffee place nearby._"

"...Uhh..." Matthew looked about his room, which seemed much more conformable at the thought of leaving it. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go. Going out meant getting in contact with people. Getting in contact with people meant colours. Colours meant emotions and that meant he could...well... "I...I'm sorry Gilbert, but I don't think that's a good idea..."

There was silence before there was a faint static rustling and Gilbert spoke, this time in a surprising gentle tone. "_Hey, listen, no one has full control of their ability within the first few days. Hell, even I don't have full control of my ability yet, why else would I wear these stupid, sweaty gloves twenty four seven?_" He gave a short, forced laugh before he continued. "_Michelle's set fire to a few things, Bella's gotten more than her fair share of stalkers and I've learned things about people that no one should ever know; but we keep going Matt! And that's what _you _have to do too!"_

Matthew opened his mouth to answer but was surprised when no words came out of his mouth. After a few more moments of silence rolled by Gilbert spoke again, this time normally, as if the stuff he said before never happened. _"So I'll see you at the park in about an hour? Awesome!"_

"W-wha-I—"

_"Don't worry, I know where I'm going this time! See you then!"_

And...dial tone.

It was a bit funny actually. All these times Matthew thought of hanging up on Gilbert and _he_ ended up being hung up on! He hit the end call button before looking at his door with a sigh. Well...he knew sooner or later he would have to leave the comfort of his bedroom and face his fears...or rather, his ability. He turned back to his laptop, to his unfinished post. It would be nice if he could get advice from someone who shared his ability...if there was one. But of course, he would never know unless he...

He sat up and swung his legs over the bed, his gaze never leaving the technological device. He bit his bottom lip as he considered it.

... …

He stood and made his way to the laptop, not even bothering to sit down as he completed it.

_I can manipulate people's emotions._

_Post_

He grabbed his cell phone and keys before making sure his computer was off so he could go.

Damn, sometimes this thing was just so—

"Slow! Man, it's so _dead_ today!" Alfred complained as he melodramatically slumped over the counter, nearly knocking over a small display of specially tea. Usually he enjoyed work but on days like today, when only a couple of people came in every hour, it was incredibly boring. His co-worker nodded in agreement, her usual not impressed expression even more so.

"I've cleaned this mug four times." She placed the mug in question down with the others before emitting a sigh that only a angsting teenager could manage. "There has to be something..." She mumbled before leaving the sulking American to see if anything needed to be cleaned at the storefront. Alfred emitted his own teenage-angst filled sigh (though not as impressive) before he pushed himself up and headed over to the employees only section.

"Boss!" He whined as soon as he opened the door. "Is there anything I can...boss? _HEY!"_

The blond male that Alfred was addressing bolted from his thoughts and turned to his employee. "Oh! Alfred!" Tino smiled sheepishly at the other. "Sorry about that!"

Tino Väinämöinen was a twenty something, kind man from Finland who as the owner of the coffee shop. Because of his soft features, small frame and caring nature, many of his workers considered him their second mother.

"I thought you were doing some boring financial stuff in here or something!" Alfred said, fully walking into the room and sitting across from his higher up. Tino laughed before glancing down at the papers in front of him, which did indeed have the 'boring financial stuff' that was referred to.

"Yes, I was but then I kind of..." His cheeks turned a light pink in embarrassment. "...Drifted off."

Alfred nodded with a small smirk. "Yeah, it did look like you were thinking about something. So what were you thinking about?"

Tino laughed again at the other suggestive look. "Sorry to disappoint you Alfred but it's nothing romantic. I was just...thinking about something that happened to me when I was little..." His eyes gazed over and he regained his thoughtful look as he recounted the memory. "It was during a family vacation in England. I think I was about thirteen or so...I almost died."

_"Died?"_ Alfred exclaimed, now thoroughly interested.

"Yes, I didn't notice a double decker bus and I stepped in front of it. If he hadn't pulled me back when he did, I don't think I'll be here right now."

_"Wow_...that is so cool!" Alfred proclaimed, clearly in awe of the persons heroic act. "So who was this guy?"

Tino shook his head, his expression regretful. "I don't know. He disappeared before I could thank him...the only thing I remember about him was his voice."

"His voice?"

"He sounded like he had rocks in his mouth when he spoke."

"..."

"But at the same time...it was oddly gentle...I'm sure if I heard it again I would recognize it..." He slipped back into reality and smiled warmly at Alfred. "Sorry if I bored you with my story, but I really should get back to my 'boring financial stuff'."

Alfred nodded and stood from his seat thinking it was about time he went back to work anyways. "Okay, boss! Hope you find whoever that hero guy is!" With that the teen was out the door, not even giving Tino time to respond to his assumption. Alfred walked back out into the store, noticing that his co-worker was again cleaning a mug that was already spotless. There really wasn't anything to do. He was just about to emit another angst filled sigh when a soft bell chiming symbolized the arrival of a customer. Alfred looked up with a smile, though it instantly slipped from his face when he saw who it was. Was that—

"Gilbert, I don't think this was a good idea!" Matthew whispered as he glanced about the familiar looking building. Gilbert huffed through his nose.

"Are you _still _worried? Listen, if anything happens I'll be here t—"

"No, no, it's not that!" Matthew interrupted. "It's just that, _Alfred works here!_"

"...Huh." From the way the Canadian said it Gilbert supposed it should have meant something, but he had no idea. "...Think he'll give us free shit?"

"Gilbert, I don't think you understand! He doesn't like y—"

"Mattie? Mattie is that you?"

Ah, damn it.

Matthew turned to his twin with a forced smile. "...Hi, Al." He said in his quiet voice as he and Gilbert stepped up to the counter.

"I thought you were up in your room sulking, Matt." Though that statement was directed towards Matthew, Alfred was glaring at Gilbert as if the lint between his toes deserved more respect.

"You make that sound like a good thing." Gilbert retorted, glaring back.

"Better than him being here with _you_."

The sudden hatred that emitted from the two made even the random customers seated at the other side of the store shift about uncomfortably.

"W-wait!" Matthew called, trying his best to get in between the two. "Al, I...I was actually just coming here to try some of that...coffee you're always raving about!" It was a lie though it got Alfred to break eye contact with Gilbert and turn to him. "A-and I just ran into Gilbert on the way here! H-honest!"

Alfred stared at him before leaning over the counter to get a bit closer. "I hope you know he's trying to get in your pants."

"He's _just a friend_."

"You know I can hear everything you're saying," Gilbert deadpanned and the twins looked at him. "Now who do I have to do around here to get a damned coffee?" He smirked devilishly at Alfred. "Your brother?"

"G-Gilbert!" Matthew said in disbelief, his cheeks glowing red. He turned to Alfred and flinched when he saw that his hateful stare had turned into a murderous glare. Luckily for both of them it was at this time that Alfred's female co-worker decided to push the American away from the cash register and take his place.

"Buy something or get out," she stated, daring Gilbert to disagree.

"What warm service," Gilbert joked, though his only reward was the girl's blank stare. "Okay, fine. Give me two of your house specials, medium."

The girl rang up his order. "For here or _to go_?" She asked, emphasizing the latter.

"For here."

_"To go._" Matthew corrected. Gilbert turned to look at him with an eyebrow raised but Matthew looked away.

"Is that all?" She asked not bothering to hide her annoyance.

"...Yeah." Gilbert handed her the money and she went to make the order.

"I'm sorry, Al," Matthew apologized. "I didn't mean to upset you at work. Gilbert isn't usually like this..." He paused to look at him. "I think."

"...Whatever." Alfred sulked, crossing his arms with a pout. "...At least you came to visit me at work, right? And you're finally gonna try the awesomeness that is the house special!"

A small smile appeared on Matthews face. "Ye-yeah I guess..."

Matthew jumped when the girl slammed Gilbert's order on the counter, nearly making the tops of the styrofoam cups pop off.

"Your order," she deadpanned towards the albino. "Sweeteners are over there. _By the door_." She gave him one last blank stare before turning away to do whatever. Matthew was glad she was gone. Her passive-aggressive anger was scarier than Alfred's flat out rage.

"C'mon, Matt. Let's go." Gilbert called as soon as he picked up the coffees. Matthew didn't reply though he looked to Alfred with a small sigh.

"Sorry Alfred, I'll...I'll see you tonight?"

"...Yeah."

With one last apologetic smile Matthew walked out of the cafe along with Gilbert.

"_Pig_," the girl spat at the door. "At least he killed a few minutes..." She paused to look at Alfred, who's gaze was nowhere, as was his state of mind. "...Are you dead?"

Alfred spurred from his daze and faced his co-worker. "What? Um, no! I'm fine!" He smiled his large heroic smile but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Fine! Just...tired."

The female raised a pierced eyebrow at him and he forced a laugh.

"Really! My shifts almost over anyways. One more errand and then I can—"

"Go home!" Matthew exclaimed when the two had gotten a few feet from the cafe. Gilbert blinked down at other's angry expression. He really wasn't used too, nor expected the Canadian to be angry and so the only intelligent thing he could think of saying was, "Huh?"

"Leaving my bedroom was a mistake! Ever since I left you've been nothing about a...a..." The word stuck in Matthew's throat as he debated on whether or not he should release it. He was far too out of practice when it came to cussing out someone and he knew he was horrible at it but he figured now was a good time for him to be angry. _"JERK!"_

He sharply turned away from the shocked male, planning to go back home.

"Hold on there Blondie!"

Matthew looked back to Gilbert, his angry expression looking very out of place on his usually timid face. _"What?"_

"Hey hey hey, don't be mad." Gilbert said with a smirk, which only further angered the blond. "I didn't get upset when you lied to your dear brother about us hanging out."

"I did that so that he wouldn't _murder_ you!" Matthew hissed, turning to leave again but this time Gilbert grabbed onto his arm to stop him.

"Pst! I could take him on! But this isn't what this is about is it? This is about..." He paused, and his face took a temporary look of concentration. "You think I only hang around you 'cause I'm your guide?" Gilbert laughed incredulously and Matthew looked at him in surprise, his anger momentary forgotten. Just how did he...oh.

He jerked his arm free of Gilbert's bare handed gasp and stepped away from the male. Damn, just how did his manage to slip off his gloves so fast? Matthew's anger melted into embarrassment as Gilbert continued to laugh and he once again turned to leave.

"Wait."

Okay, really, this was the last time he was stopping. Gilbert still had the goofy upturn of lips from the after math of his laughter but Matthew could tell that he was at least trying to be serious. "I'm sorry."

Matthew blinked. "For what?"

Gilbert shrugged. "For...whatever...for not saying that I...that I just wanted to see you I guess."

Matthew blinked wide eyed at the albino, his cheeks heating up by the second. The shock that his statement caused forced any leftover anger to completely vanish and he cursed at himself for being so easily flustered over a simple sentence. God, he was such a girl. Maybe he should get that haircut.

"I—"

"Anyway," Gilbert quickly interrupted, it seemed like he was just as keen to change the subject as Matthew. "I owe you, a walk in that park right there." Matthew opened his mouth to speak but Gilbert cut him off. "Just five minutes, that's all I ask; and if you want to leave after that, I won't stop you." He popped a cup of coffee from the cardboard cup holder and held it out to the blond.

Matthew looked at it, considering. Hesitantly, he began to reach for it but paused, glancing up at Gilbert's face. He held a small smile and a mischievous glint in his eye. As per normal with the red eyed hooligan. Matthew sighed before he grabbed the cup. It wasn't a cold day, but the cool breeze caused a dull chill to seep into the Canadians pale skin. Though as soon as he held the cup the warmth shoot up his fingers and travelled through his body, sending a pleasant tingle up his spine.

"...Okay," Matthew agreed. "Just five minutes."

Gilbert smirked before popping out his own cup and throwing out the cardboard cup holder in a nearby trash can. "Five minutes is all I need, Birdie."

They walked off, both waiting for the hot drink to cool slightly so that they could drink. Gilbert looked over to see Matthew was looking elsewhere in a daze.

"Something up?"

Matthew slipped out of his daze and glanced at the other. "Hm? Oh, uh, nothing." He looked back down at the ground. "I'm just...a little worried about—"

"Alfred?"

The teen stood there panting at the doorway, blocking the exit of the therapist and her receptionist. Alfred looked up at the female, his expression unintentionally miserable. "Dr. John..." Alfred wheezed, out of breath. "I...I need to talk to you."

Eliza's expression softened at the younger boy's sad appearance. She looked at her receptionist and bit her lip in thought. A few moments pasted before she stepped aside and allowed room for the teen to walk in. "Come on."

The boy walked inside and the receptionist groped at the female. "B-but Eliza, if we don't get to the restaurant on time—"

"Hey!" The doctor snapped at the man. "Even though I planned on bringing you home after dinner, I'm sorry to say that the patient always comes first. I'll see you tomorrow." And with that she closed the door on the flabbergasted mans face.

There was silence as Alfred watched with increasing guilt as his doctor pushed her forehead against the door as if regretting her decision. Then the female pulled herself away from the oak and fixed her shirt with her head up high.

"I'm sorry about, uh...coming so suddenly."

Eliza reassured him with a wave of her hand, leading the blond through the waiting room and to her actual work office. "No Alfred, its fine. There has to be a reason why you came around after hours." She unlocked the door and opened it. "And it better be a good reason, I'm missing a hot date because of this."

This earned a small laugh from Alfred and he lay down on the client couch as Dr. John settled in her comfy chair.

"Sorry again doctor I just... I really need to talk to someone." He seemed uncomfortable laying down and so he sat up, putting his elbows on his knees. The doctor said nothing, but nodded her head to show she was listening.

"It's...it's about Mattie actually, there, um..." He was hesitant, nervous, things that Alfred was not. "Four years ago...there was a..." He paused and turned elsewhere in a thinking matter, as if wondering if he should really go through with it. "...An incident and..." He looked up at the doctor. "I need to tell you about it."

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**It's unintentional complete each others sentences day, GO! **

**Out of all the characters in this chapter, I had the most fun writing Alfred's nameless co-worker, pst. Angst teenage goth coffee chick ftw!  
Also, Any OC's introduced in the story are not gonna became major characters. They may or may not open major plot points, but they're mostly for flow reasons. Just putting that out there.**

**Thank you everyone who reviewed and is going to review! (hint hint teehee)**


	13. The Incident pt2

**Mmmm Kitty29 here with the second part of 'The Incident' chapter thing.  
Sorry that I didn't have this posted sooner, that's what happens when have a vague outline of a chapter and ten thousands idea of how to fill it with fluff. MMM fail kitty is fail.**

**Anyways, I took a lot of chances with the chapter writing wise so please review and tell me if I did well or not!**

**Disclaimer: I don't even know why I keep doing these. You guys know I'm not Hidekaz Himaruya right?**

**Please Enjoy and review!  
**

* * *

"It's...it's about Mattie actually, there, um..." He was hesitant, nervous, things that Alfred was not. "Four years ago...There was a..." He paused and turned elsewhere in a thinking matter, as if wondering if he should really go through with it. "...An incident and..." He looked up at the doctor. "I need to tell you about it."

Eliza's eyes widened slightly and her grip on her arm chair tightened. Every single member of the Bonnefoy-Kirkland family had at one point at least mentioned the incident to her but she knew nothing about what actually happened. Even Francis, who was usually more than forthcoming with his information, remained rather mum about the subject. All she knew was thatmit involved both Matthew and Alfred, and that _she_ knew nothing about it. Until now.

Though she looked calm on the outside, inside she was far too excited, even by her standards. She brought herself back to earth by listing extremely boring therapist terms in her head.

Psychopharmacology...Geropsychology...

Ah, right on track.

"Why now and not before?" The Doctor questioned when Alfred fell into silence. He glanced up at her and opened his mouth as if to speak but seemed to think better of it and returned his gaze back to the carpeted floor. This continued for a bit, each time Alfred looking as if he just couldn't find the right words before he slinked away.

"Take your time," Dr. John assured and Alfred nodded.

"Right..." He said more to himself. He exhaled deeply before speaking. "You know...you know about Matt and I's...about our situation? Right?"

Eliza nodded. "Yes, I know that you two were separated at a very young age and were reunited about five years ago?"

Alfred nodded, a small disbelieving smile on his face. "Yeah. Then my real French dad and nanny turned adopted British dad met and got married." His smile grew and a hollow bark of a laugh escaped him. "Jeez, when said out loud my life sounds so _fucked up._" He laughed again before he realizing his f-bomb slip and looked back at his shoes. "Sorry."

"It's fine." If it were another client his age she would have added 'I'm not your mother' but this was not the time. "So this has something to do with your past?"

"Yes, wait, no! Uh...maybe?" He wondered if it would have been better if he had postponed this meeting until he had a better idea of what he was going to say. Oh well, it was too late now. He scratched the back of his head as he continued on with his thoughts. "I don't know, look, all I know is that I have to get this thing off my chest. I...I have a lot on my plate right now. With school and stalkers and Matt and trying to get a girlfriend and—" He stopped when he realized then even just thinking about it was causing him to get short of breath. He dug his nails into the couch and changed the subject. "I just don't want this..._Thing_ this past _mistake_ that I..." He sighed through his nose and his voice grew quiet. "That I know isn't my fault."

Though he was the one who said it he obviously didn't believe it. Rather, he said it as if it was something that was told to him constantly. Told to him over and over and over again until he pretended to accept it just it would stop. "I don't want this to be the thing that will break me when I have..." He looked up at the female. "_You. _You're like my guide, right?"

Eliza smirked. "You can call me that."

Alfred smiled nervously and the room lapsed into silence again. The Doctor remained silent and watched Alfred as he stared down at nothing, collecting his thoughts. It was rare moments like these that the similarities between the twins were the most obvious. Their nervous habits were pretty much a perfect match. The fiddling of clothes, the avoiding of eye contact; even the way he would sometimes glance up at the doctor from under his longish eyelashes then quickly look away when he saw she was looking. Most people who knew the twins knew them as two completely different people. However, she knew better. She knew that in the core of both of them were nervous, damaged, scared little boys. Alfred just hid it better.

"Okay," Alfred said, breaking the good doctor from her thoughts. "Right...I'm fine..." He assured before running a shaky hand through his hair and focusing on a painting near Dr. John's head. It seemed like he was ready. "So it...it happened about four years ago...Back when Matt, dad, papa and I lived in—"

"America? Yeah I used to live there." Matthew said as he and Gilbert walked along innocently. Hours had passed since the five minute mark and the two had a lovely walk through the park. That was of course, until Gilbert got bored and the two wondered off to a comic book store. It was there that Matthew discovered that Gilbert had no clue about the comic book universe—he thought that Spiderman had a Spider cave! The horror! And so Matthew spent at least an hour trying to cram as much information he could into the older students head—in which several of the comic book nerds that usually lounged around the store joined in(Gilbert made sure to get both himself and Matthew out of there before they all begin arguing over which Robin was the best). But now it was a bit late, and Gilbert still had that project to complete, so he decided to walk Matthew home before he retreated back to his headquarters as well. "I lived there for about a year before I moved back to Canada."

Gilbert smiled. "'Came back', huh? You lived here before?"

"Yep, I've lived in Canada most of my life. Though I was in Quebec before."

Gilbert laughed at that. "Quebec? I can't see someone like you coming from that province."

Matthew raised an eyebrow. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"I mean you're not a pompous ass." At this point he put on a really bad Quebecois accent. "French Canada zis zhe _best_ Canada!" He paused to inhale on an imaginary cigarette and Matthew had to cover his mouth to muffle his completely manly giggles. "All zhe rest of Canada c_'est pussy_ _Canada_!"

"I feel like I should be offended," Matthew said between laughs.

"Didn't I just say you're _not_ like that?" Gilbert reminded with a smirk. "That is a compliment, Blondie."

"Okay but what about you?" Matthew asked. "Did you used to live in America?"

"Me? Yeah, yeah I did. Moved there a bit after my mom died."

...Oh.

"I'm sorry." Matthew quickly apologized. "I didn't mean to bring it u—"

He was cut off from a laugh from the albino. "Mattie, it's fine. My mom died _years_ ago, I'm over it. Besides, my awesomeness needs to be shared with the world."

Gilbert grinned when that gained a laugh from the blond. It was a small timid laugh, but a laugh all the same.

"My house is just over there." Matthew said, pointing to a nearby house. Gilbert nodded and together they walked up its driveway and to the front door. Both of them stood awkwardly in front of the house, each of them not exactly sure how they wanted to end their outing. Matthew actually surprised himself when he couldn't bring himself to just say a good bye and enter his home. Perhaps he had more fun than he wished to admit.

"So...um..." Matthew began pitifully in an awkward attempt to stall for...some reason. "What are you going to do when you get home?"

Gilbert shrugged but then made a face when he remembered. "I have to finish up my stupid report, or Mr. Niccals is gonna fail me." He made an annoyed noise in his throat. "You?"

"Me? U-Um...I dunno." The blond rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I...I'm a little hungry actually, I might make myself some pancakes or something."

"...Huh." A passing bird seemed to capture the albinos attention and he watched it fly away as he continued. "You know, I've never had pancakes before."

Gilbert looked back at the Canadian to see him staring back at him with shocked, wide eyes. "_What?_"

"Uh...pancakes," Gilbert repeated, not seeing what the big deal was. "Never had them."

The staring continued until suddenly Matthew spun around and dug his keys out of his pockets. "I'm making you pancakes."

The Prussian blinked. "Huh?"

"I said I'm making you pancakes. Never having them before is just...wrong." He successfully unlocked the door and opened it. "So get in."

"What about your parents?" Gilbert had suffered more than his fair share of parent bashing in his short life time. He recalled one time his nose was nearly broken when the parent of his past girlfriend threw a rather heavy book at him.

"My parents aren't here," Matthew answered, leaning against the door frame with a small smile. "They'll be at work for couple more hours."

Gilbert paused, silently debating his options; homework or a chance to see Matthew in an apron.

Not that hard of a decision.

He smirked before he walked past the Canadian and into the home. "Well if you insist. Don't worry babe, I'm sure anyone wouldn't want my awesomeness to leave them either."

Matthew rolled his eyes before closing the door behind him. It wasn't until he heard the faint _click_ of the door closing that he wondered if letting the albino into his home was really a good idea. But really, the man had never eaten _pancakes! _What kind of self deserving person had the _gall_ to tell him, _him, _the _master _of pancakes, that they had never partaken in the wonderful fluffy meal? It was truly blasphemy. _Blasphemy! _And it would not be tolerated.

"You can watch TV if you want." Matthew gestured towards the family room before he went into the kitchen. The family room and the kitchen were right beside each other and there was even a little window between the two, meaning Matthew could keep an eye on Gilbert and make sure he didn't destroy his house or something. Gilbert nodded and wasted no time in making himself comfortable on the couch as Matthew went in to the kitchen and began to pull out the materials needed to make the meal.

He was kind of glad that Alfred wasn't home at the moment but also a bit curious. He usually came right home after his work shift or told him before hand if he was going elsewhere. Where was he?

"So your tool of a brother isn't here either?" Gilbert asked as he absentmindedly flipped through channels.

"You mean _Alfred?_" Matthew corrected, a little annoyed at the insult directed towards his twin. "No he's not. I don't know where he is actually."

"Huh."

Usually this would be where a conservation would end but there was something about the way Gilbert delivered that short grunt that left Matthew curious. "What?"

"It's just that you guys are pretty much always together. Seriously, there wouldn't be much of a difference if you guys were the kind of twins attached at the hip."

"Okay, creepy first of all," Matthew stated as he grabbed his fathers apron and quickly tied it on. "And you don't understand; we're _twins._ We have a bond that goes deeper than siblings."A small sigh escaped him as he realized he missed Alfred a bit but he pushed that feeling away. Really, he just saw the other a few hours ago! "We're...We're—"

"Inseparable. Seriously, we are." Alfred said with a small chuckle. He chose to lay down again, for some reason finding more comfort in talking to the blank ceiling than another human. "As far back as I can remember we've always been like that. Even when we were reunited, it took weeks before we stopped taking baths together." He laughed again, this one a bit more desperate, almost pitiful. "You, uh, probably didn't need to know that."

Dr. John offered a small light laugh of her own but didn't say anything, silently encouraging the other to continue.

"Right, so we were always together. We brushed our teeth together, ate together, went to the same school..." His brow furrowed and it sounded like he struggled with the next words. "Walked...home from school... together."

Silence engulfed the office yet again and the Doctor glanced up from her notepad. Well, it seemed as if they were getting to the heart of the matter. "Alfred, did something happen when you and Matthew were walking back from school?"

Alfred rolled his head away from the female. "...Yeah, that's when _he_ showed up." He tone took a sudden turn for the venomous when _he _was mentioned and Eliza couldn't help but scribble it down in her notepad.

"_He?_" She questioned.

"Yeah, _he,_" Alfred repeated. "The man who ruined my life. That's when he came and he..." He paused; deciding again that he was really more comfortable sitting. He rested his elbows on his knees, his suddenly angry expression directed at the rather bright painting in front of him. "I should have known it was gonna happen you know, that day, it was _too_ perfect."

"Alfred—"

"Sun shining, no clouds, the birds fucking chirping, it was like everything was mocking me, _us." _His fists clutched his jeans. "I should have seen it coming, there's no such thing as a perfect d—"

He physically jumped when he felt the hand upon his shoulder, but relaxed when he recalled Dr. John's presence.

"Alfred, calm." She retracted her hand. "Tell me what happened. What did the man do?"

Alfred nodded. Right, this is what he came here to do in the first place, right? He opened his mouth to speak.

"It's almost ready!" Matthew called out, turning off the stove. He turned around to place the spatula he was holding in the sink but jumped when he saw Gilbert standing right behind him.

"M-_Mon dieu!_" Matthew clutched his material over his heart and smiled sheepishly at the other. "I'm sorry Gil. I didn't know you were there. You scared me."

Gilbert didn't reply, instead he chose to just stare at Matthew, with his apron and hair pushed back with a simple headband. He didn't seem to care that his staring was making the other increasing uncomfortable.

"G-Gil?" Matthew finally said, looking about awkwardly.

Gilbert smirked. "I think I may have already told you this but you're cute."

Matthew felt his face heat up at that sentence and he looked elsewhere, not sure how to respond. He went to go past Gilbert and to sink but was stopped when the other put a hand out and caught him around the waist.

"No, scratch that," Gilbert's smirk grew. "You're _adorable_."

Yeah, Matthew didn't like where this was going. He wiggled his way out of the others hold and took a few steps back from the other. A faint fear rose in his chest when he saw the albino taking a step towards him with each step he took away. "Gil-Gilbert I—"

"Hey, what happened to 'Gil'?" He questioned. Matthew's back hit the kitchen counter and Gilbert placed his hands behind him, effectively trapping him. Now this was starting to feel similar to the time when they first met and if memory serves...that didn't end so well.

"O-Okay...Gil I—" And even though he had complied with his wishes Gilbert still placed a finger on the Canadians lips to silence him.

"Hold that thought for a minute Mattie, I got some things I want to say." He placed his hand back down on the counter and smiled. Matthew physically tensed.

"We were going down the alleyway on that stupid perfect day like we always did to get home, then that bastard showed up." Alfred scowled at the memory, and although his expression was one of anger, his eyes held pain. "I didn't think much of him at the time, there were always people using that alley for a shortcut, but just when we were about to pass him, he _grabbed _me." His brow furrowed as he focused on not letting himself get sucked into the memory. "It was then that I knew that he was planning to hurt me. Hurt Mattie. I, I managed to get out of his grasp but then he..."

His head snapped up and he found himself back in that American alleyway. He turned to find he and his brothers younger selves. The scared look on their faces as the man grabbed roughly onto Alfred's arm. He looked beside him and there was Dr. John, staring at the scene as well, her face stoic yet professional. He turned back at the scene. At the man. His face was blurred, probably due to the fact that Alfred couldn't clearly remember what the he looked like anymore, but he remembered his wild brown hair, his thick stubble and of course...

Those eyes.

Those dark grey eyes.

They were slightly hazed yet sharp. Piercing. And there was something within them that made Alfred remember those eyes for all these years.

A sadness, a regretfulness. As if he didn't want to do what he did. Of course...that didn't stop him.

The events he had just told continued to play out, but for some reason in slow motion. Young Alfred managed to pray the far larger mans hand off him and step out his reach. The man scowled but turned away from the boy.

Everything froze.

Alfred found himself unable to tear his eyes away from the young Matthew's terrified face as he looked up helplessly at the man looming over him. Alfred felt a lump begin to form in his throat and his mouth went dry. He continued the scene.

"He went for Mattie."

"It's really hard to pull information from you, Mattie. Did you know?"

The Canadian tried to lean further away from the other but only succeeded in making his back ache. "I...don't know what you're talking about."

"Most people, they're more than willing to share their information but not you," He shook his head, chuckling. "No no, not you. Every time I touch you I always get the same information. Your favourite colours red, you're in the tenth grade blah, blah, blah."

The slow way he was talking scared Matthew and he gulped to try and get the stinging behind his eyes to stop.

"But nothing of value Mattie. I don't why but..." Gilbert leaned into Matthews ear and whispered the rest. "I want to know you."

"Mattie struggled but he couldn't fight him off. We were just kids."

The scene advanced as Alfred told the story. Tears began to build in young Matthew's eyes as he tried to pull himself away from the man but he was simply too strong. Young Alfred looked in horror.

"I wanted to help him. I _tried _to help him. He was stronger."

The events began to speed up the more Alfred allowed himself to get dragged into the memory. Young Alfred ran up to the man and grabbed onto the back of his shirt, trying to pull him away from his twin. With a growl the man twisted his body around and used just one hand to smack the other to the ground, never once letting go of Matthew. Alfred hit the ground hard, his glasses flying off as his head bounced against the concrete. The whole scene went blurry but regained some of its clearness when young Alfred sat up and shook his head.

Beside him a look of concern crossed the doctors face and she opened her month as if to speak but said nothing.

"I tried again, I had to help Mattie. He's my twin, my other half. I already lost him once. I couldn't let it happen again. I had to be the hero."

The young Alfred stood once more, a look of determination as his face as he took off running towards the man holding his brother hostage. His head connected with the mans back and the older male gave a shriek of pain before letting go of Matthew. Young Alfred held out a hand for his twin to take. Matthew quickly went to grab it.

"That's when it happened."

"I really want to know you." Gilbert repeated, his red eyes piercing into Matthew's as he brought his face close to his. "So let me in, Mattie."

Matthew found himself frozen against his own will as Gilbert's face drew closer to his own.

"No..." It came out hushed, weak but it was all Matthew could muster before their lips were met.

Alfred found himself back Dr. John's office still staring at the painting in front of him. He looked at the doctor, who was literally sitting at the edge of her seat as she waited for the other to continue. Once she noticed that the male was looking at her she coughed awkwardly into her fist and shifted herself so that she was sitting normally.

"What is it that happened, Alfred?" The Doctor asked trying to keep her voice as professional as she could.

Alfred regarded her for a moment before answering. "He smacked me into a brick wall and I blacked out, but don't worry!" He quickly added when he saw the concerned look on the females face. "I'm fine. I got a thick skull, you know?"

She nodded, biting her bottom lip to stop herself from pelting him with questions about his head injury. "What happened to Matthew?" She asked instead.

Alfred went back to staring at the painting, his hands picking at his jeans. "...I don't know how long I was out for, but when I woke up, there was Mattie..." He paused to try and find the right word to describe Matthews situation. "..._Distressed."_

There were several ways that Gilbert expected the Canadian to respond to being kissed. Accept it, deepen it, or of course reject him. What he didn't expect however, was for him to utterly freak.

"NO!" Matthew screamed, no _shrieked _as he slammed his fist against the albino's chest. Not expecting it at all, Gilbert stumbled backwards, giving Matthew more than enough space to leave but apparently that wasn't enough for him.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" He yelled blindly swinging about the spatula he had in his hand causing Gilbert to retreat even further from the other. Matthew stopped after he was sure the boy was at the other side of the kitchen and he pointed the cooking utensil out threateningly in front of him. His legs were shaking so much that he needed to place a hand on the counter behind him to keep himself upright. "What is _wrong _with you?"

Gilbert just stared at him wide eyed. "Mat—"

"_SHUT UP_!" Matthew screamed and Gilbert complied. "It's _my_ turn to talk now you..._pervert!_

"Do you ever wonder why I don't have many friends or why I never join any after school activities? It's because I don't want to get close to people." Matthew almost fell to his knees and he had to adjust himself so that he was leaning most of his weight onto the counter. "I'm far more messed up than you know Gilbert. I can't...I can't even allow myself to be close with my step-dad!" He laughed here, a sick, pathetic laugh. "I hurt people. I hurt the people I love."

"Don't you think you're exaggerating?" Gilbert asked slowly, carefully. "I saw Feli yesterday. He's fin—"

"Feliciano is just an example of how I could hurt someone." Matthew hissed, the stinging behind his eyes growing more intense. "You don't...you don't know..."

"Distressed?" The doctor asked with a raise of her brow. "How so?"

"He was crying." Alfred answered. "He's shirt was ripped and his glasses were broken, but Mattie was fine. _He _wasn't."

Alfred returned to the scene. Stepping up beside the observing doctor he watched his younger self begin to slowly rise from sleep. He moaned and painfully pushed himself into a sitting position.

"Mattie was fine," Alfred repeated, looking directly at the doctor as he spoke. "Physically."

Eliza continued to stare at the scene as she spoke. "What exactly happened to the man that hurt you?"

Alfred paused before he looked back at the frozen scene. "...When I woke up the man was on the ground, blood pouring from his head."

The scene changed to reflect Alfred's words and the young Alfred couldn't help but look at him, disgusted.

"And there was Mattie...crying over the man's unconscious body screaming for help."

Young Matthew appeared kneeling over the man sobbing uncontrollably. He called for help, but the cry was so weak that to died on the wind nearly as soon as it left his mouth.

"...I'm still not really sure what happened when I was knocked out." Alfred said, speaking to the Dr. John that was seated in her office. "And I know he didn't do anything...but for some reason...Mattie's convinced himself that—"

"I've killed a man." Matthew stated, his voice quivering with the effort to hold in his tears. "I did, with my ability. Is _that_ exaggerating?"

Gilbert simply stared, not sure what to say at the sudden confession. Murder? Matthew? It just... It just didn't...

"I can't...I can't let people get close..." Matthew said more to himself then the other male. "Alfred...Alfred is the only one I can be close to..." He narrowed his eyes at Gilbert. "I don't _want_ you to know me. I want you to teach me. Can you show me how to control this?"

Gilbert remained silent, continuing to stare at Matthew with that dumb look on his face. As if he couldn't truly understand what was happening.

"_WELL_?" Matthew called, trying to startle Gilbert out of whatever trance he was in. "Can you?"

For the first time ever, Matthew saw a look of distress on the Prussians face. It seemed so out of place, so foreign. Gilbert turned his gaze elsewhere. "...No." He could barely control his own, much less someone else.

Matthew didn't even care that now his tears decided to run down his face. "Then get out of my house."

Gilbert didn't move. "Matt—"

"I SAID _GET OUT!_"

"I know someone who can."

Matthew fell silent.

"I didn't want to tell you because I don't trust him...At _all_." Gilbert paused when he noticed Matthew's chin start to quiver. He looked like he was trying so hard to hold back his absolute breakdown. Trying so hard to hold it until after he left.

Gilbert sighed. He had to leave. Making sure to fully face the Canadian, he uttered the name of the so called teacher before he turned tail and left.

Not a second after he had left Matthews eye sight did Matthew finally left his knees gave out from beneath him and he crumpled to the floor in a sobbing mess. Damn him! Why did he have to come into his life and tell him about his 'gift'? Why did he have to be nice to him? Why did he make him notice the little things about him? Like his smile or his laugh or the way his red eyes would sparkle when he talked about something he really liked. Why did he have to _kiss_ him?

And so he cried. Cried over everything and nothing. He didn't even stop when Francis came back nor when Arthur did.

He continued until he had lulled himself into a horrible sleep, the one name Gilbert mentioned bouncing around his head.

He could help him.

He could make the pain go away.

This...Ivan Braginski.

* * *

**If this story was a show, I suppose this would be like the season finale or something.**

**A few people have been asking about Russia and I didn't answer to them because I planned to have him in it since the beginning! So don't you worry! The scary country that we all hate/love will be in here! WOO (It's actually a bit scary cause I've never really written Russia before...but I'll try my best!)**

**Thank you, **Fallende, HippieVampire, PrussianAwesomeness, Lately, Kendall N.S., Naruta13, XxAlysxX, fan girl 666, HappeDaez, Min Kagamine, o-Vii-o, kind-of-heart, Frozenbreath, TheFlyingPotato64, MoreThenLikelyCrazy, italiachick13, aisu-sakura, QueenCelestiaxyv, WinterClover, ninjafox369, Panicingovercartoons, Patre, SilverMoonPhantom, bombayxprodigy, Player3, hojas, carousels, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, Raining Sun, candy4yourEYEZ, ChibiGKItty, Meeve, Lumoa, Axxi, Meaggy, MiSs ArIa, silverwatersdragon, Silent Pandemonium, ObsessedFan111, BeautifulXinXBlood** and** Kawaii Bishyness **for reviewing the last four chapters!(Sorry if I missed anyone) And thank you every one else who had been following this story! I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can!  
btw Quebec people are awesome. Seriously, I went over there and they all put up with my bad french. I don't even think that Gilbert's been to Quebec, probably just getting his information from parody TV or something... **

**Peace out!**


	14. Omake 1

******Hey guys! Kitty 29 here with the first Omake of this series! (I'm pretty sure there will be more). Since the last chapter was like a series finale or something I figured there should be a chapter break before it is continued. So here are some extras for you to enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Random Extras****  
Some times when I'm writing I write these little extras that are in the Colours universe, but have nothing to do with the story or I can't find a place to put them in. Here are some of them:**

**Mind Reader****  
Setting – The club, years before the story begins. **

"Are you sure this is the right place?"

"Yes, this is the place," Gilbert answered smirking. "Everything you thought it would be and more, right?"

Ludwig caught the mocking tone in his voice, and he couldn't help the small blush that spread on his face as he exited the car and looked at the small office building. Really, he thought it would be more like something out of a comic book or whatever, not something so... Ordinary.

"See, it's not some kind of floating school in the sky," Gilbert mocked, scratching under his leather gloves. It would take a while to break these things in. He wondered if they were gonna be awesome enough to become a thing.

The blush on Ludwig's face deepened but he crossed his arms and glared at his older brother. Gilbert had been telling him for years that he had some kind of extraordinary power, but honestly Ludwig just always thought it was him being his usual attention grabbing self. He had never even considered that he had been telling the truth. Until he was introduced to Lovino. He had seen with his own eyes the Italian's healing powers and had finally believed that Gilbert also had abilities. So he did deserve all the teasing and mocking for not believing his brother for all those years but even so. Could you really blame a guy for not believing someone could learn about someone else simply by touching them?

So he decided to make it up to him, by going to this club that Gilbert's been talking about for a while. When Gilbert had talked about it, it seemed so fantastical and wonderful but now that he was here looking at the building it just seemed so...

Normal.

"C'mon Westen_, _don't just stand there _gawking_ let's go!"

Though Gilbert would never admit it, having his younger brother at the club made him happy and so he eagerly led the way. They walked into the meeting room where a few people were chatting. Yao, the club leader, seemed too distanced with papers to notice the two enter the room, the same could not be said for the Italian brothers.

"Ludwig!" Feliciano shouted happily before bouncing up and hugging the larger male, causing Ludwig to blush as he timidly returned it.

"So the potato bastard decided to come," Lovino stated bitterly, crossing his arms in a huff. "_Great_."

"What? Would you rather I brought that Spanish lover of yours?" Gilbert smirked when he saw the Italian turn beet red. Lovino glared at the other.

"Sh-Shut up! I would care less about that bastard!" Lovino retorted, having just recently broken up with boyfriend for the sixth time. Gilbert laughed at the others distress, only stopping when he felt Feliciano tap his shoulder.

"Oh right, Gil! Didn't you say you had something to tell me about your ability?"

Gilbert's face lit up when he remembered. "Yeah! Yeah I did!" He mentioned for the Italian to come close. He did so eagerly, but before Gilbert could tell him he looked back at his brother, who was looming pretty close. "You might want to cover your ears _little brother._ This might not be suitable for you."

"Feliciano's younger than me." Came Ludwigs surprising childish response. Gilbert simply laughed before focusing his attention back to Feliciano.

"Fine. So, I was making out with this really hot chick at Lessie's party last week" Ludwig's eyebrow twitched. "When suddenly all this useless information about her just came to me! Way more intense than just touching."

"Really?" Feliciano marvelled as Lovino rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, but that's not it!" The albino was growing even more excited as he prattled on. "I swear, that for second, I read her _mind_."

Both Feliciano and Ludwig stared at Gilbert with wide eyes. Feliciano clearly in deep awe. Lovino scoffed.

"Tch, it was probably the first thought you ever had."

Gilbert raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't even make sense."-smirk-"Wow, you're really useless without _Antonnniiioooo~"_

"S-_SHUT UP_!"

"_Easten." _The nickname insistently gained Gilbert's attention. "Is this true?"

Gilbert frowned. "You doubt me?"

"No, no I—"

Ludwig's words were caught in his throat when Feliciano abruptly grabbed the collar of Gilbert's shirt and forced their lips together. To say that the two German brothers were shocked would be an understatement. As soon as his mind caught up with his body Gilbert pushed the Italian away from him.

"What- _what the FU—"_

"What was I thinking?" Feliciano asked, his innocent smile betraying his last action. "Did it work?"

Gilbert paused, now realizing the others intention. He got information, yes, but... "No, it wasn't deep enough for it to—HEY!" He backed away and put a hand over his lips when the other advanced him again.

Feliciano seemed disappointed. "But Gil, if we don't try then how can we know it works?"

"Ah..."

Luckily, now was the time Yao decided to glance up from his papers and notice the new brothers. "Oh! Gilbert, sorry I didn't know you were here, aru." He rose from his seat and turned to Ludwig. "And this must be Ludwig, aru. It's nice to meet you."

He walked over and the two shook hands. It was only then that Gilbert allowed himself to look at his brothers face. Though he was masking it, Gilbert could still see the tiny bit of hurt. He knew his brother had developed a small crush on the Italian pretty much as soon as they moved here. And he also knew that although he would never admit it, the German was mad at him.

And that theory was only further proved when Ludwig 'forgot' to make enough dinner for him and he was forced to go to bed hungry.

**Letters****  
Setting – At school the day after Chapter 9: Embarrassment, in which Alfred meets Korea in the sports shack and some 'events' transpire. **

The day after Alfred's rather lustful counter with the new Korean student he found himself back at his locker. Though he knew that there wouldn't be any balloons inside he couldn't stop the slight tumbling of his hands as he struggled to open the lock. Of course, no balloons floated down from his locker when it opened but that wasn't what surprised him. What surprised him was the envelope enclosed inside. Again from Korea.

Alfred couldn't tell if he should be more angry or incredulous. The kid was _still_ trying to get him to like him? Even after he practically raped him?

His face began to burn when he thought back to yesterday's events and he ripped open the envelope to distract himself. He read over the note:

_I realized you don't know much about me, so here you go!_

The rest was useless facts and ramblings of Yong Soo and Alfred groaned before he banged his head against the locker. What the hell was _wrong_ with this kid? Couldn't he take a freakin' _hint?_ He sighed before wrenching himself away from the cold metal and grabbed the stuff he needed for class. He made sure the lock was secure before he went on; dumping the letter in a nearby trash can as he walked. He was hoping Yong Soo was watching when he did that. Maybe then he would learn to stop bugging him.

He didn't.

The next two days brought two new letters into his locker each morning, each from 'Korea'— he had no idea why the other was using an alias when he knew who he was, weirdo. And each time Alfred would read the letter, see that it was just more ramblings then throw them away. He even ripped up the last letter he received, having an inkling that Yong Soo was watching as he did so.

It was now Friday and Alfred didn't even bother hiding his sigh as he uncovered another letter. Following the last three days Alfred ripped open the letter with the full intention of reading it, remembering what Arthur taught him when he was young.

'If someone has the courtesy to write you a letter, the least you could do is read it before you throw it away.' Apparently it was the 'gentlemanly' thing to do. Whatever that meant.

And so he pulled out the page from the envelope, a bit surprised by its contents. Usually the letters went for about a page or so, but this one was only a simple sentence:

_Hey sweetie, how is day?_  
_-Korea_

Alfred stared at it. Stared and stared and reread and reread until a small smile tugged on his lips and he laughed. He knew that he shouldn't laugh, especially when it came from the Asian he was trying to deflect but he couldn't help it. It was funny. It reminded him of when he had just become friends with Kiku and would say stupid stuff like that to get him riffled up.

He heard a faint 'Whoop!' in the background and he turned just in time to see the Korean duck back out around the corner. Alfred looked in that direction for a while, silently wondering if he should go over there. He shrugged before grabbing his school stuff and tossing the letter back in his locker. He supposed he would give Yong Soo this small victory.

**Nicknames****  
Setting – Kaoru(Hong Kong) and Michelle (Seychelles) are working on a project at Michelle's house years before the stories events. Inspired by the song **Michelle **by** The Beatles.

"I think we should have nicknames."

The thought was so random and sudden that it caused the monotone Asian to look up at the excitable girl. Michelle, seeing he was looking, paused in her work and smiled. "I mean, you're my best friend Kaoru! We should have special names for each other!"

In Kaoru's head he corrected the girl. He was her _only_ friend pretty much. Though Michelle was a cheery and outgoing girl, her overly ecstatic and talkative way seemed to put more than a few people off. In fact, Kaoru was the only person who could stand being around the female for long periods of time. Even the girl's parents seemed to invite him over just so he could distract her.

"...What do you have in mind?" He decided to ask; figuring now would be a good time to pause in his work. Michelle's face lit up when she had his interest and she shifted herself so that she was facing her best friend.

"Well! I dunno! But I figured whatever they are we'll only use them when no one else is around!" She giggled, not noticing the blush that appeared on the male. "It'll be cute, right? I could call you Kao, or Coo-coo...okay maybe not _that _one, but something like that! How about—"

As she prattled on Kaoru couldn't help but wonder how she failed to notice how..._intimate _having private pet names were. Though he hated to admit it, a while ago he had actually come up with a nickname for Michelle, though he could never work up the courage to call her it in her presence. Now though...might be as good a time as ever...

Michelle stopped talking as soon as she heard the Asian mumble something, and she titled her head at him in confusion. "Huh?" She pushed herself on her hands and knees and crawled closer to the male. "I'm sorry what did you say?"

Kaoru blushed and looked away, knowing Michelle didn't know her position gave him a good view down her dress. With her so close, it was even harder to say. Though he knew he would have to now. And so, with his face beet red but still rather void of emotion, he spoke again.

"...Michelle Bell."

Kaoru couldn't bring himself to look at the girls reaction due to his embarrassment. Though the force of the girls hug sending him crashing backwards made him guess she liked it.

"My god Kaoru! That is _so cute!"_ She broke the hug and but didn't push herself off him, instead deciding to look up at him from his chest. "I didn't know you had it in you! Mmm... I can't think of a good one for you right now but until then, will you still call me Michelle Bell?"

She then pouted, and though it was playfully, Kaoru's blush still deepened. He was ridiculously happy. He thought that Michelle would reject him when she learned of his little pet name, but instead he got to call her it whenever they were alone? What luck! Although his chest was practically exploding with glee, his face still remained void of emotion as he nodded.

Michelle smiled largely back before she slapped Karou's stomach and pushed herself back up. "Yay! Well, back to work!" She said merrily before she crawled back to where she was before.

"...Okay."-smile-"Michelle Bell."

**Every Time?****  
Setting – Yong Soo and Alfred get a detention for yelling in the halls between classes.**

It wasn't until he felt Yong Soos hands begin crawling up his shirt that he realized he was making out with him. Again.

Alfred quickly retracted himself away from the Asian, his face burning. "_What the _hell? _Why _does this keep happening?"

Yong Soo just smirked before adjusting his scarf to make sure it was covering the hickey he had received last time. "Because you like me, da~ze."

"Shut up!" Alfred returned back to his seat and sat back down, sulking.

Yong Soo did the same. "Go out with me?"

"_NO!"_

"No talking," The teacher said even before she re-entered the classroom. "Or that'll be fifteen more minutes."

Alfred threw one last glare at the other—which Yong Soo countered with a charming smile— before he looked back at the front of the room and fell silent.

* * *

**Story Bits****  
Usually when I write a chapter there's at least a paragraph that gets cut out because it was too long or because it disturbed the flow of the story. These are some of them.**

**Guinea Pig****  
This was a small bit of dialogue left out of Chapter 7: The meeting Pt.2 when everyone is introducing themselves. I thought it was funny but it had to go so that the chapter would flow.**

"Oh yeah, and this is my bruder, Ludwig." Gilbert gestured to the taller German beside him. "He's here because he's lame and has nothing better to do."

"Tch, that's why Feliciano's here too," Lovino said while Ludwig gave Gilbert an unimpressed stare.

"Ve! That's not true! I came because I want to help everyone!"

"It's true." Gilbert said nodding, trying to keep his face straight but failing. "He's the best guinea pig we could ever wish for."

Feliciano looked happy at the comment. "I'll do anything to help!"

Ludwig face palmed. "Feliciano… That's not a good thing."

"Ve?"

**Talking with Raiman****  
Raiman is Matthew's Malaysian Math Mate(lol) that belongs to **ArisaLyeanna**. He appeared briefly at the club in Chapter 7: The Meeting Pt.2. There was originally gonna be a conversation between him and Matthew but I couldn't find a place to stick it in(pst).**

"Why didn't you tell me you had an ability?" Matthew asked. Sure the two of them didn't know each other that well, but he figured that if the other thought he had an ability he would at least ask him about it.

Raiman opened his notebook to a new page before he answered, "You never asked."

_What a smug answer,_ Matthew thought with a small laugh.

"By the way..." Raiman began, clicking his mechanical pencil to life. "Do you know if Feliciano has an ability?"

Matthew blinked at the random question. "Feliciano? No, he doesn't. Why?"

He 'hmm'd before scrabbling something down. "No reason, just curious."

Matthew nodded before glancing at the notebook. It was weird, at school he never saw him with that thing but here it looked as if he never parted from it. "What are you writing?"

"Observations mostly." Raiman answered, only pausing in his writing to push his glasses up his nose. "Because I see so many personalities through flowers I forget which flower belongs to who. I write them down so that I don't forget."

Matthew 'Ohhh...'d in understanding. "Well that makes sense. Maybe I should get a notebook too..." He turned to see the Asian giving him a puzzled look.

"Why?" He asked simply.

"Well to um...write down people's emotions...?" Then again, people's emotions were a constantly changing thing; wouldn't writing about them be a little useless? Matthew shrugged. "Or maybe not..."

Raiman looked at him for a while before he too shrugged and went back to writing.

**Meeting with Feliks****  
This is what I originally had written for the last chapter, for when Mattie and Gil go for a walk in the Park. Though I realized that it was all too long just to make one point, so I rewrote it.**

"America? Yeah I used to live there." Matthew said as he and Gilbert walked along with coffees in hand. The five minute mark had long since passed and Matthew decided to stay and chat with the egomaniac. Though he hated to admit it, he missed the simple pleasure of face to face connection; more than he probably should have for only being away from it for about a week. He was enjoying himself far too much. "I lived there for about a year before I moved back to Canada."

Gilbert took a drink of his coffee and smiled. "'Came back', huh? You lived here before?"

"Yep, I've lived in Canada most of my life." Matthew also took a drink from his coffee and—damn that was good coffee. "Though I was in Quebec before."

Gilbert laughed at that. "Quebec? I can't see someone like you coming from that province."

Matthew raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean you're not a pompous ass." At this point he put on a really bad Quebecois accent. "French Canada zis zhe _best_ Canada!" He paused to inhale an imaginary cigarette and Matthew had to cover his mouth to muffle his completely manly giggles. "All zhe rest of Canada c_'est pussy_ _Canada_!"

"I feel like I should be offended," Matthew said between laughs.

"Didn't I just say you're _not_ like that?" Gilbert reminded with a smirk. "That is a compliment, Blondie."

"Okay but what about you?" Matthew asked. "Did you used to live in America?"

"Me? Yeah, yeah I did." He smirked. "Moved there a bit after my mom died."

...Oh.

"I'm sorry." Matthew quickly apologized. "I didn't mean to bring it u—"

He was cut off from a laugh from the albino. "Mattie, it's fine. My mom died _years_ ago; I'm over it now. Besides, my awesomeness needs to be shared with the world."

Gilbert smiled when that gained a laugh from the blond. It was a small timid laugh, but a laugh all the same. He took the last swing of his drink with a satisfied gulp. Damn that was good coffee. Matthew also finished of his cup with a small pout. It seemed as if he shared the albino's thoughts on the subject.

"Are you done?" Matthew asked and he held out his hand when the other nodded. "Give me, I'll throw it out." Gilbert compiled and Matthew trotted off to the nearest garage can. It was a great day, the sun was shining, the recently returned birds were chirping and a slight breeze was making the air just a little on the cool side. Matthew threw both the cups into the garage and paused to look upon the park, a smile growing on his face. He loved the park; it was probably the only place he could go t with a lot of people and not feel overwhelmed.

"Mattie?"

There only a few people who called him by that name and he didn't recognize that voice. At first he didn't turn, thinking the person was addressing someone else.

"Mattie!"

He finally turned to find the only cross dresser he knew waving at him merrily. He was looking especially girl like today with an oversized jacket over a very short skirt finished with a very cute frog beanie hat. If one didn't know he was a boy they would have to be rather close to tell.

"Hey~!" Feliks called before he jogged over to the other.

"Oh, um... h-hello, Feliks." Anyone could tell with a single glance that Matthew was uncomfortable. Feliks was there when he had his little...melt down a week ago. And so far the only person he has exchanged words with(not counting Gilbert of course).

"Oh my god, Mattie! It's like, totally weird seeing you here!" Feliks exclaimed, reaching Matthew with one last hop. "This is like, so weird, right? I haven't seen you since the club last week!"

Matthew flinched at those words and he mustered up enough courage to look up at the other's face. "About that I'm—"

"Like, oh my god Mattie! Are you_ still_ worrying about that?" Feliks flipped his hand and made a 'psft' sound, showing that he himself was far over that particular subject. "Listen, _everyone's_ over it!" He glanced around before mentioning for the Canadian to lean in a bit closer. "When you have an ability you're more than prone to your own set of breakdowns. It totally just makes gossiping more fun!"

Matthew blinked. Everyone's been saying his previous break down wasn't that big a deal and he was honestly starting to believe it.

"Wha...What about Feliciano?" Matthew asked. The last time he saw him he was sitting like a rag doll in a chair, thanks to him. "Is he...Is he okay?"

"Feli? I thought you two like, got in an argument or something?" Feliks said honestly confused.

Now Matthew was confused too. "Argument? No I...I haven't even spoken to him since..."

"Really? That's totally weird. Feli thinks you like, hate him or something?"

"What? But, I...I thought _he_ hated _me!"_

The two blonds looked at each other. It started out small but in a few moments the two of them were howling.

"Like, oh my god!" Feliks gasped between laughs. "You guys are like, _terrible_ for each other!"

"Feliks, what are you doing here?"

The two turned to see that Gilbert had decided to shuffle over, obviously tired of being alone for more than three minutes. He looked over the others girly outfit and frowned. "Didn't I tell you not to wear such frilly...stuff?"

Feliks, still giggling, looked down at his outfit. "You said _frilly_ and this isn't frilly, right Matt?"

Matthew shook his head, covering his mouth to hide his smile. "N-no it doesn't. I would wear it." He paused. "M-minus the skirt of course."

Gilbert looked between the two blonds still recovering from their little giggling fit. A smile tugged on his lips when he thought of how adorable Matt would look like in that outfit though he quickly shook the image from his mind—for now—and hid it with a small frown. "Since when did you two get so buddy-buddy?"

"Ah, don't be so lame, Gily." Feliks said, walking up to the albino and pouting. "I need to like, go and meet someone soon anyways. So don't think I'm trying to steal Mattie from you or something."

Gilbert scowled at the Polish student, who smiled slightly arrogantly in response.

"Anyways." Feliks turned and walked back over to Matthew. "Feli is like, totally fine." He whispered so that Gilbert wouldn't hear. "But I'm like, a bit worried about you, Mattie."

Matthew blinked, "What?"

"Be careful around him."

"Around who?"

Feliks turned back to Gilbert. "'Kay I'm like, leaving now? Ciao'!"

Gilbert nodded in acknowledgement.

"Bye Mattie." Feliks waved before walking past the Canadian and away from the two.

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**That's it for now!**

**Thank you **Lately,yamishun, Silent Pandemonium, Meeve, Kikiura, Player3, XxAlysxX, fan girl 666, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, BeautifulXinXBlood, lilredd3394, Stitch-chan, PrussianAwesomeness, italiachick13, Kawaii Bishyness, o-Vii-o, Frozenbreath, Miss T Hyuga, cutegixie, candy4yourEYEZ, Axxi, TheFirstDarkblood **and** shiki** for reviewing the last chapter! I'll be sure to get the next chapter up soon!**

**Thank you for reading and please review! ^^ **


	15. Forewarning

This was a dream. That he knew. It had taken him years to be able to sort out reality from the strange dreams he always seemed to have. But as he walked into the pure white space he was sure this wasn't reality.

His shoes echoed against the indefinite space as he walked. He had no destination as he moved forward. All he knew was that if he kept moving sooner or later something would happen.

Sudden sniffling caught his attention. He looked about wildly, trying to find it's source.

Nothing but white.

The sniffling continued. Loud enough to suggest that it was going from right next to him. Though as he looked around, there was no one. He turned around one last time and there it was. Looking at the ground crying was a skinny teenage boy clutching onto what looked like a broken cell phone.

He stared at the young boy in confusion. Usually when he dreamt of others he always knew who they were. Something in the back of his mind tingled with familiarly as he studied the boys face, his blond wavy hair, his violet-blue eyes. But he couldn't understand why.

It wasn't until he asked for his name that the boy finally looked up at him. He didn't seem surprised at his presence at all, rather, it almost seemed like he was waiting for him. He shook his head slightly, his hair sticking to his wet cheeks.

"Please..." He spoke, but his voice sounded distant, like he was talking through a filler. "Help me...I can't do this by myself..."

The blond looked back down at the ground his crying not calming in the slightest. He followed his gaze but found only white. He must have been looking at something he couldn't see. He decided on asking another question. Why was he crying? The boy didn't say anything. Instead, he bent down and touched the ground with a shaky finger.

Starting from where he touched, the scene began to materialize. White faded away to dark concrete, brick walls, a dark sky. He looked around him. Again he felt familiarly as he glanced about the dark alleyway but like before didn't understand why. He choose to instead focus on the young blond. He followed his gaze once more and his eyes widened when he saw what the teenager was looking at.

It was a body.

Or rather, a silhouette of a body.

For when he looked at it there were no details or colour on the person. He couldn't even tell if it was a he or a she. All he knew was that on the ground was a person who was bleeding. The wound was another thing that he couldn't see clearly, but he could see the bleeding wasn't stopping anytime soon. He looked up at the blond and noticed a third person behind him. It was also a silhouette. Although he couldn't see its face he could tell that it was also looking with worry at the body on the ground. He asked the blond what happened.

"Please...help me," the boy repeated, looking up at him again. "Please...I can't do this alone...I can't...you...

"You're the only one who can help me."

The buzzing of his clock brought him back to the land of the living. He turned off the alarm and groaned. He always felt a bit nauseous when he awoke from dreams like that. The only thing he could do was lay there and wait for it to pass. A few minutes later he trusted himself enough to get up knowing that if he went back to sleep he would be late for work.

He left his bed untidy as be wondered in a daze into the bathroom, his mind back in his dream. It was a bit strange. Usually whenever he had a dream like that he was instantly able to identify the people and places. But this this time...nothing.

He splashed cold water on his face before he looked up at his reflection. Like if he stared at it long it would start giving him the answers. He didn't like mysteries. He liked being able to focus his full attention to whatever he was doing at the time and not be distracted by wondering thoughts.

Releasing a sigh though his nose he pushed the dream to the back of his mind. He would wonder about it later when he wasn't busy. For now, all he needed to worry about was getting ready for work.

Berwald Oxenstierna glanced at his reflection one last time before he exited the bathroom to prepare breakfast.

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**Thank you **XxAlysxX, ObsessedFan111, candy4yourEYEZ, ObsessedFan111, Meeve, Nima Loves You, fan girl 666, Axxi, Lately, Hikarilightz, Italiangurlinamessedupworld **and **Chocola Emo Shizzle **for the reviews.**


	16. Ivan Braginski

**H****ey guys kitty29 here with the 16...15? 14?...With a new chapter of Colours!  
Sorry about the length and the wait for this one, writers block is a weird thing, huh?**

**I was actually surprised by the amount of feedback the last chapter got! I thought because it was so short and random people would skip or hate it but no! Maybe I should leave chapters like like more often lol.  
**

**Unbeta'd and thank you **Glimmyfrost7 **for the 250 review! WOO! Next milestone, 300! Oh jeez!**

**Please enjoy and review! =D**

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When Matthew had first imagined a place where people with abilities gathered he imagined it just like this. An abandoned warehouse quite a ways away from the nearest bus stop. Matthew looked up at the large building, the darken clouds behind them only adding to the ominous feelings that stirred inside the small boy. This was the place. This was apparently the place where he could find this Ivan Braginski.

It was a bit concerning when he had gone to get the directions from Yao. When he discovered that Gilbert would not be coming along with him the Chinese man suddenly became rather mum on the subject. He had to swear to go with someone else before Yao would tell him the location.

That's how he and Kaoru came to be walking up the dirt path they were upon now, heading up to the shady building. Apparently Kaoru came here quite frequently, revealing that it was sort of hang out for people with abilities. However, unlike the club _only _people with abilities were allowed in. Apparently there was quite a bit of 'honing skills' that went on inside that they preferred normal people not know about.

He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder and he looked at Kaoru to see him staring back at him with an unvoiced question in his eyes.

"I'm fine." Matthew answered before shrugging him off and walking ahead. He felt a bit bad doing it, especially after the Asian had so nicely agreed to take him here, but ever since his interaction with Gilbert he's been a bit...edgy. Especially when it came to people touching him.

They were close to the building now, close enough that they would see a lone figure standing just outside the entrance. He took a long drag from his cigarette and exhaled with a satisfied sigh before he glanced over to look at the two. He was a dark skinned young adult male with a threatening air about him, even the slightly ridiculous Hawaiian shirt, pony tail, and pink headband he sported did nothing to undermine his rough exterior. His eyes glided over Kaoru, in obvious sign that he had seen the other before, before they rested on Matthew. For a moment, he just stared, a slight frown on his face as though he was trying to remember something. Then, quite suddenly, his neutral face took on an expression of rage.

"_YOU,_" he hissed, causing Matthew to stop dead in his tracks. The larger male started stomping towards him. "I told you never to come near me again!"

Matthew was far too shocked to tell the man that they had never met before. All he could do was stand frozen and watch him come closer helplessly.

"You just couldn't stay away could you, you American _BASTARD!" _He was starting to sprint now and Matthew's brain finally caught up with the situation when he saw the man pull back his fist. Matthew left out a small yelp and threw his arms over his face, expecting the worst.

…

After a few more seconds of nothing Matthew opened his eyes and was slightly taken aback by the scene. The man was clutching onto his hand in pain, spewing random profanities as he tried to shake the pain away. Standing in front of Matthew was none other than Kaoru, some kind of sparking translucent..._thing_ hanging in front of him. The blond stared at it for a while, wondering what the heck it was before he remembered Kaoru's ability. That's right..._shields._

"This is Matthew Williams," Kaoru deadpanned. "I'm bringing him here to meet Ivan."

Matthew, now knowing he was protected, glanced over Kaoru's shoulder at the larger man. The man in turn was looking back at Matthew, his previous expression of anger non-extinct as he blinked at the other. After a bit of staring he straightened up, a sheepish expression on his face.

"S-Shit. I'm sorry." He scratched at his stubble, a small blush on his face. Kaoru, seeing that his shield was no longer needed, got rid of it with a swipe of his hand. "I thought you were that..._bastard,_ Alfred."

Matthew nodded slowly. He was still a little shaken but he willed himself to step out from behind the smaller Asian. "I-it's okay...We-we're twins, actually." Looking at the man again Matthew could vaguely recall his twin complaining about some 'annoying Hawaiian shirt wearing smoker' that would constantly kick him and his friends out of random clubs and bars they tried to get into. Though the last time his brother talked about him he said that he 'got what he deserved' with an evil laugh, refusing to go deeper into the subject.

Apparently this was the 'annoying Hawaiian shirt wearing smoker' that he talked about.

"Huh, I can see it...sorry again, Matthew." Realizing that he had bit into his cigarette to hard for it to be used he removed it from his mouth and throw it to the ground, stomping on it to make sure it was out. Kaoru began to walk forward again and, not wanting to be left behind, Matthew quickly followed.

"I'm Estefan." The dark skinned man introduced. He held out a hand for the other to shake when he came close enough.

Matthew hesitated a bit but decided to take the hand with a small smile. "Matthew." He said before his vision suddenly failed him and he felt himself falling forward. He heard a small cry of surprise before large hands stopped him from falling to the ground.

"A-are you alright, kid?"

Matthew blinked, momentarily wondering why he was now leaning against someone's squishy chest. Then, realizing that he was so close to another person, promptly pushed them away and jumped back.

"I-I'm fine. Sorry." Matthew looked elsewhere trying to fight back the blush that appeared on his face. Estefan, a bit surprised by the others reaction, turned to Kaoru.

"Newbie?" He questioned. Matthew chose to answer.

"N-no, well a bit b-but I..." He stopped to take a breath and calm his thoughts. Truthfully the reason why he was staring to faint from touching new people with abilities again was because he hadn't used his own in weeks. Also, distancing himself from other people with abilities or rather, people in general, didn't help either. Though his parents noticed, they suddenly became way too busy to focus much attention on him. Francis' work suddenly became much more demanding and Arthur was out on...well truthfully he didn't know. He was out on 'business' he told them. Plus Alfred was...Alfred was being weird for a while and he had no idea why.

In his silence Estefan nodded slowly. "It's, uh, fine if you are...you said you're looking for Ivan? I can take you to him."

He turned to the closed warehouse doors and fished around in his pocket for the key. Matthew looked to Kaoru.

"Th...Thank you." If it wasn't for the younger Asian his face would be pounded in by now. Kaoru simply nodded, his face void of emotion. With a grunt the Cuban opened up the heavy looking doors and headed inside, the two following closely behind.

The inside actually didn't look as big as it appeared on the outside. From the two set of staircases that Matthew could see in the distance he figured there was at least three floors.

"Ivan should be downstairs." Estefan informed as he continued walking. There were what looked like several unused abandoned machines that formed random aisles down towards the stairs and frankly there were a bit creepy. Matthew could tell that the sheets that covered them all used to be white but had now turned a grayish yellow due to dust and lack of washing. He was wondering if being in a building so dusty was sanitary when he felt someone crash into him.

His eyes widened as he focused all his attention on not falling on his ass which, when coupled with the sudden dizziness he felt for touching someone else, was not as easy as it seemed.

"I-I am so sorry!" The other male said before he removed himself from the other. "I'm afraid I didn't see you there."

Matthew also took a step away from the male and looked upon his surprise attacker. He was a pleasant looking guy who couldn't have been but a few years older than him. Shoulder length chestnut hair framed his soft face and actually made him look a bit girly. However, it suited him well. He turned to notice Estefan and Kaoru.

"Estefan, Kaoru," He greeted politely, giving them each a small nod. "I'm sorry I can't stay, I'm already late!" He turned to Matthew and apologized once more before he ran past him. The three watched him go, and Estefan chuckled.

"That's Toris," he explained. "Don't mind him, he's always running late with meeting his...uh..." His cheeks turned a little pink and he decided to turn around and start walking again before he continued. "Boyfriend."

Matthew couldn't help the small smile caused by the other's embarrassment as he continued to follow the man. The walk to the staircase didn't take that long and they descended the squeaky steps into the basement. The downstairs didn't look much different than the upper floor. The only thing that stood out was a very random long table that was placed in an open space just behind the stairs. The two figures who were sitting there both looked up at the sound of coming people.

"Hey, Liz, have you seen Ivan?" Estefan asked the female at the table when the three of them had fully descended the stairs.

The woman with the long light brown hair shook her head. "No, not today I hadn't." She then noticed the blond that was with him and offered a small smile. "Oh hi there, and you are?"

Matthew smiled back a bit nervously. "H-hello, I'm Matthew."

"Hello Matthew, I'm Elizabeta but please call me Liz." She said with a small dip of her head.

"Elizabeta is pretty much the leader here," Estefan explained to Matthew. "So if you have any questions you go to her."

Matthew nodded, feeling just a bit awkward that he was the centre of attention. Though it didn't seem as if he would be catching a break anytime soon. The dark haired male at the table looked at the blond, his eyes clearly judgemental.

"My name is Roderich," he introduced and Matthew instantly sensed his posh attitude. He couldn't help it; the guys' posture could rival a ruler. "You want to meet with Ivan? Why?" He asked, his expression far from friendly.

Matthew grew more tense, and he couldn't bring himself to meet Roderich's gaze as he answered, "I...I heard he could train me."

At that the room grew silent. Matthew glanced up at the two people at the table to see them staring back at him with wide eyes and he quickly turned away again. If he was nervous about meeting Ivan before it was nothing to how he felt now. With everyone's reactions towards him being so negative...

Suddenly Estefan appeared in front of him, his expression one of worry. "A-are you sure you want him? I can teach you!" He held a hand in front of him and Matthew swore he must have jumped ten feet when it suddenly burst into flame. The Cuban clutched his hand into a fist, the flame instantly going out.

"It did take a while," he said, using one hand to scratch his stubble while the other uncurled one finger at a time, each of them bursting into flame when fully straight. "But I was able to control it."

With a wave of his hand his fingers were back to normal and he reached into his pocket and pulled out his case of cigarettes.

"NO. Estefan." Elizabeta said, moving her hand as if throwing something away and, surprising, Estefan did the exact some motion. His cigarettes skidded under an abandoned machine and out of site. "I told you. No smoking inside."

Estefan made a bit of a face but didn't reply as he went to receive his pack. With him no longer in the way Elizabeta turned her attention to the uncomfortable blond. "Are you really sure? What did your guide have to say about this?"

Matthew cursed his finch when he was reminded of Gilbert and the circumstances in which led him to learning of Ivan Braginski. "I...it was my guide who told me about Ivan."

The girls face fell at that. "I...oh." Was all she would think of saying, and once more the room took on silence. Though there was something..._eerie_ about this silence. Almost remorseful. It felt so bad that Matthew wished that anything, he didn't care what it was, would come and break it.

"Ah, I see there is someone new, da?"

The slow, creepy voice sent shivers up Matthew's spine and though he didn't want to admit it, he knew exactly who it was. He didn't know how but he knew. This was the man he was looking for.

He fully turned to face the male and felt himself only getting more frightened when he saw the small child like smile on his adult face. Pale blond, almost grey, locks lightly hung over his intense amethyst coloured unwavering eyes. A light pink heavy looking scarf was placed upon his broad shoulders almost like a prize, completely unnecessary in the warm weather they were having. He towered over Matthew's small foam, both his height and build being larger than the other. Matthew had never felt so small in his life.

Ivan Braginski.

This was Ivan Braginski.

Ivan's smile widened as he looked down his rather large nose at the other and Matthew couldn't help by shiver. "Hello new person. My name is Ivan." He stuck his hand out for the blond to shake, his gaze never leaving him.

Matthew gulped and gave a small nod. "M-Matthew." He introduced before he took the larger man's hand. Nearly as soon as his skin contacted with Ivan's a terrible jolt of pain coursed though his whole body. But before he could even open his mouth to scream, it was gone and he was left wondering if he imagined it.

"Ah, so you are comrade Matvey."Ivan stated, placing his hand back to his side. "Yao has told me about you and your..._condition._"

Fear leapt in the Canadian's chest at that word. _Condition?_ Was being afraid of one's own abilities referred to as a _condition_ in abilities terms? Argh, why didn't he look up those things up on Tony's forums?

Matthew, being busy in his own thoughts, didn't notice when Ivan took his eyes off him and looked around at the other people in the room. "I'll need some privacy, da?" And though he _said_ it pleasantly and his _expression _was pleasant when he said it, it practically screamed 'get out or else'.

Elizabeta, Roderich and Estefan all looked at each other before they began to head towards the stairs. Elizabeta making sure she threw a glare at the Russian before she disappeared onto the second floor. The only one who didn't even move a muscle was Kaoru. He just stood there, his face void of emotion as he continued his duty to watch over Matthew. Surprising Ivan didn't mind. Instead he looked back to the Canadian, his smile never leaving his face.

"So. Colours?" Ivan said, efficiently snapping Matthew out of whatever panicked state he was in. Matthew tried to met his gaze but found that he couldn't. He settled for the scarf.

"I...I..." His throat was dry and he felt like he was about to burst into tears from both fear and anxiety, but he pushed on. He had gotten too far to back down now. "I don't want to hurt anyone. C...can you teach me how...h-how to control my ability?"

"Sure."

And that was that.

Matthew was so taken aback by the quick response that he looked straight into the others eyes. "R-really? J-just like that?"

Ivan shrugged. "I have been a bit bored and there are not many good shows on the television. So sure."

Matthew just blinked up at him. Di...did that just happen? Was he now a pupil? He...he didn't feel any different. Or any better for that matter.

"Now you need to show me your ability. Kaoru!" Ivan waved over to the still Asian who trotted over like an obedient lapdog. Ivan placed a hand on Kaoru's back when he drew near enough and positioned him so he took his place in front of the Canadian. "First thing is first. Try to make Kaoru move. No touching." He stepped away so that he could watch the events unfold, that damned creepy smile still on his face. But even though it creeped him out, Matthew couldn't help but stare at him in confusion. Ivan titled his head towards the dark haired boy. "Ability. Use." He practically demanded.

Matthew opened his mouth to speak. Should he tell him that he wasn't comfortable using his ability? That he never wanted to use his ability ever again but still wanted control? He looked to Kaoru who was staring back at him with the usual coourless stare. Though his face held no emotion, Matthew could sense that the other male had no problem with being like a test subject for him. Matthew closed his mouth and succumbed.

With a deep sigh and some inner self encouragement, Matthew locked his gaze onto the Asians. It took a while for his colours to appear, due to his lack of use, but when it did he was so taken back he almost lost his focus. Feliciano may have been the only other person that he had seen more than one colour at a time from but still. For them to be _this_ different...

While Feliciano's colours were brilliant and contrasted greatly against each other, Kaoru's colours were all merged together, as if stirred in a giant stew pot. He could barely even understand when one colour started and another began. And if that wasn't enough, a translucent grey wall seemed to be in front of everything, giving all the colours a grey hue; making them even harder to identity. Matthew frowned, not sure what to do. Well, he might as well try what he did with Feliciano. He reached out to try and grab onto one of the colours but was stopped before he could even get to one. He blinked and tried again. Same result.

His frown only deepened when he noticed it was probably the fault of that grey wall. Whatever it was it was stopping him form grabbing onto any of his colours. If he could break through that wall he could get to Kaoru's colours. He tried this and surprisingly, it only took him one try to get through. However, he didn't break the wall but kind of...fazed through it. It felt a bit strange but he continued, reaching out rather blindly and grabbed for a colour. He had just gotten a firm grip on one when suddenly he was smacked away by an unknown force and he lost it. He scowled this time, knowing that that was probably all he could really do at that point. Ivan saw it too.

"Okay. That is all for today."

Matthew broke eye contact and felt a pang of anger when Kaoru's face remained the same as ever. All that and nothing? Just how messed up was this kid? He looked up at the hulking Russian who had ended up beside him when he was thinking. Ivan titled his head that damned smile _still_ on his face.

"You are very unskilled." He said simply and Matthew couldn't help but blush in embarrassment. There was a pause before Ivan's smile widened and again Matthew shivered. "But such an interesting ability, da. There are better things I can do with you..." He then laughed and even that was childlike and creepy. "The real classes begin next week, da? I will see you~!" And with that Ivan turned and left, leaving only one thought in Matthew's mind. One thought that came far too late.

_Maybe I _shouldn't _talk to this Ivan Braginski guy.  
_

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**I'm still not that comfortable with writing Russia, so I hope he seemed okay ^^;;  
Why do I alway write at around three in the morning dammit I'm so tiirreedddd**

**Thank you** Lately,candy4yourEYEZ, XxAlysxX, Meeve, fan girl 666, Kawaii Bishyness, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, ArisaLyeanna, Ayla The Librarian, HappeDaez, crystalclear8, Cherry Maiden, italiachick13, AngelicDemon97, WinterClover, Frozenbreath, Chocola Emo Shizzle, Axxi, o-Vii-o, Her Diary, fairy-hime-108 **and **Glimmyfrost7 **for the reviews! **

**Thank you for reading!**


	17. Alfred's Troubles

**Hey guys! Kitty29 here with another update! Now the only reason that this one is updated so fast is because it's a really short chapter, but one I deemed necessary to have to make the next chapter make a bit more sense (I for once know what I'm doing! Shocking I know.)**  
**This chapter only took me like, two hours to write lol. I need a better hobby...**

**To answer a few questions one, no Alfred does not have a power and I can say that in full confidence that that will not be a spoiler in later chapters. Also the 'man' from the incident is not a Hetalia character, it's just a random. Any more questions please feel free to ask them!  
**

**Unbeta'd, though it's still good. Enjoy and review!  


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A couple of things happened over the next few weeks. The first being Ivan assigning some tasks for Matthew to complete each week. They weren't partially hard tasks, mostly simple observations that he would have to write down to prove that he had done it. Another thing that happened was him becoming good friends with Estefan despite their rough first meeting. The two had become rather close in the short time that they had known each other and spent much time hanging out and going for ice cream. Combined with Ivan's tasks, school work and small personal pleasures Matthew suddenly found himself to be a very busy person.

And Alfred had never felt more lonely.

He wasn't exactly sure when he had decided that breaking into his school to get on the roof was a good idea but the roof was where he found himself. It was a bit funny really. When school ended he pretty much killed himself to get out but when he needed some time to think here was where he found himself.

He released a small sigh as he sat down near the edge and hugged his knees to his chest. He had thought that telling Dr. John about the incident would make him feel better, make his life go back to how it usually was but it didn't. Of course, he was a bit selfish in thinking that everything would go back what it used to be. Go back to the times when Matthew barely had any friends and shared most of his time with his twin. Where they would just sit in his room and talk about the stupidest things or head to the park and people watch, or when they would see how many marshmallows they could stick into their mouths and still hold a conversation.

He laughed at the memories, the faint wind causing his hair to fly in front of his face but he didn't care enough to wipe it away. He hoped that in telling Dr. John about the incident she would somehow come up with some miracle answer to stop Matthew from thinking that everything was his fault. Of course, that didn't happen either. All he felt he did was betray Matthew. Betrayed him by telling another of his secrets without asking him. He felt sick with himself. Maybe that's why he stopped spending as much time with him. Maybe that's why he never invites him to any of his outings. Maybe that's why...

A sudden sound of a door opening disturbed the American from his thoughts. He turned around to see someone walk through the door and enter the roof area. But not just anyone, oh no. It was him, his stalker. Yong Soo. The Korean ran a hand through his hair and sighed, closing the door behind him. He seemed troubled with something for he simply stood there for a while his eyes on the ground. Finally he shook his head slightly and looked up at Alfred, surprised that the other was there.

"Alfred?" He questioned walking forward to confirm the blonds identity.

"What are you doing here?" Alfred asked and Yong Soo stopped a ways away from him, a sadness in his eyes.

"I...I come here to think, da~ze," he said. "But...I see you're here so..." He bowed his head at the American before he turned away and began to walk back to the door.

Alfred wasn't sure what had caused him to do what he did next but before he realized it he had called out, "Wait."

The Korean stopped just as he reached the door and turned to Alfred. They remained staring at each other for a bit before Alfred titled his head in a way that motioned for the other to came. The Korean complied, walking up and taking a seat next to the American.

They stayed like that for a long while. Looking up into the dusk sky, each of them in there own problems. It was Yong Soo who broke the silence.

"Why are you up here, da~ze?"

A part of Alfred wanted to cuss him out and say that it wasn't his business but that part of him was surprising small. Instead he opted to telling the truth. "My brother, my twin actually," He started, continuing to stare up at the sky. "I'm the twin that goes out to parties and makes a ton of friends and Mattie was supposed to be the twin that doesn't have friends and spends all his time with me." When said out loud Alfred knew he sounded incredibly selfish. Nevertheless he continued. "But now Mattie's gone. He has things that I can't help him with. Things that I'm just a dead weight in. It's sad, I see him everyday and yet..." Alfred let out a small weak chuckle. "...I miss him."

Yong Soo nodded. "I know how you feel, da~ze. I have a twin too."

Alfred turned to him surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah, but she hates me," The Asian said with a dark laugh. "Every time we see each other we argue. And it's always the stupidest of stuff, even for me, da~ze." He released a sigh before absentmindedly using his finger to trace circles on the ground. "I wish I knew when we stopped liking each other. When we started arguing instead of playing. But even so I still love her...and I miss her."

It was with these words that Alfred fully realized Yong Soo's situation. He was an exchange student in a completely different country. A country where everything was strange and different. With no one he knows. Now Alfred felt a bit guilty. Here he was talking about how lonely he was while the younger boy beside him left his friends and family in a completely different country and yet, he still acted so happy and not bothered by his situation.

He meant to apologize, to say something helpful to make the Korean feel better. But what came out of his mouth was, "How did you get up here anyway?"

A smile creep upon Yong Soo's face as he reached into his pocket and pulled out one of those large keys rings with numerous keys on it. The kind that only janitors are seen carrying. "One of the janitors is Korean, da~ze. So naturally I think we might be related."

It started out as a small, awkward, almost polite 'hah' which evolved into chuckling which soon turned into the two full out laughing. Whatever troubles they were having temporarily forgotten.

It must have been a good five minutes before they calmed down. Yong Soo wiped tears of laughter from his eyes as he asked the next question. "How did _you_ get up here?"

Alfred pointed to a rather large tree that was stationed just close enough to the school that one could easily jump off one of it's higher benches and onto the roof top. "Climbed." He said simply and Yong Soo nodded in acknowledgement.

"I see, da~ze." There was a pause before the Korean stood and wiped the dirt off his clothes. "I have to go. If I'm gone for too long mean ol' Aniki will be mad at me." At the thought of getting in trouble he pouted but that quickly turned into a smile when he looked down at the still seated American. "Bye," he said, bowing once more before he turned to leave.

Again, Alfred wasn't sure what had caused him to do what he did but before he realized it he had spat out, "I'll go on a date with you."

The announcement shocked both Yong Soo and Alfred and for a while nothing was said. Alfred felt his cheeks heat up in a totally unheroic way and he couldn't bring himself to look back at the Korean to judge his reaction.

"...Really?" He heard Yong Soo ask and, still unable to look back, he nodded his head furiously. Again more silence followed and Alfred thought that the other had left. Though almost as soon as he finished the thought a certain Asian crashed into him from behind. It took all of his strength to stop them both from falling off the roof.

"FINALLY, DA~ZE! This will be the best date ever, I promise!"

Alfred's blush just deepened when the Korean refused to let go of him, even with his struggling. "You almost made us fall to our deaths! Just for that you're not getting a good night kiss!"

"Awww~! No fair! Can I at least get one now, da~ze?"

"...Fine."

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**Yay Alfred and Yong Soo are getting somewhere! -flails arms-**

**Thank you **Meeve, Hikarilightz, Jou-pup, HappeDaez, cutegixie, TheFirstDarkblood, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, Her Diary, XxAlysxX, LunaDiscord, Ookami Aya, Frozenbreath, Axxi, StarNight888 **and** fairy-hime-108** for the reviews!**

**Thank you for reading!**


	18. The Family

**I'm really starting to think this story is getting popular. Especially since I get reviews on some of my other storie****s**** that relate back to this one so positivity. It****'****s weird but I probably wouldn't feel it until I get fanart. (...-WINK-)  
****Also, my lovely friend **bombayxprodigy** has ****notified me that this story is over 60,000 words long! Which is just, whoa. Whoa. It really doesn't feel like that long, y'know?**

**ANYWAYS Kitty29 here with the new chapter of _Colours! _Because I'm lame and have nothing better to do, I'm updating fast! YEAH!**  
**For those wondering, the twin that Yong Soo was referring in the last chapter was indeed North Korea. And before you ask, no, she will not be appearing in this story due to the fact that she is in Korea. This story takes place in Canada. Yep.**

**Derp Derp aDerp Derp Derpderpderp ****derp derpderp this chapter is veery Derpable. :I**

_**Enjoy.  


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**_

"You should tell our parents."

Matthew nearly chocked on his drink when he heard those words. "W-What?" He managed to choke out stupidly. Alfred just shook his head at his brothers reaction before he continued to drink his own cold beverage.

The two had decided to bum about the backyard on this unusual hot May day. There wasn't anything special about their back yard,—other than Arthur's little garden of tomatoes he grew in the corner—they were just chilling there so that they didn't have to do their homework. The fact that Francis had freaked at the sudden up in temperature and cranked up the AC so high it was practically winter in their house didn't help either. So having no where to really go, they settled for sitting around the outdoor table that they rarely used.

Matthew looked at his twin with a dumbfounded look on his face, who just continued to drink his drink like he didn't just say something so...So shocking. "Where did _that_ come from?"

Alfred shrugged. "They're probably gonna find out sooner or later, so why not tell now?" Though Alfred enjoyed being the only family member who knew of Matthews ability, he was starting to get a little annoyed at having to make up an excuses for where the Canadian was when he went to meetings. The fact that he was also roped into doing Matthew's chores when he was away didn't help either.

Matthew just reminded silent as he took a sip of his drink again. Sure he knew sooner or later he would have to tell his two dads but he was hoping it would be later. Much, much later. After he went away to university later. "I-I dunno, Al. I told them about my ability back in grade school and they thought I was insane!"

"Yeah but that was ages ago," Alfred countered, seeming to forget that grade school was only three years prior. "I'm sure if you told them again they will believe you! And if they don't I'll back you up!"

Matthew stared down at his drink nervously. "I don't know..." Sure since becoming a student of Ivan he felt confident with his ability as well as a bit more confident over all but even so, this was his family! The people that he saw every day. What if they decided he needed further mental help? _What if they disowned him?_

"They're not gonna disown you, Matt," Alfred said with a smirk when he noticed the ice cubes in Matthew's drink clunking together a bit too much. "That's just stupid. And if they do, we'll run away together and become lumberjacks!"

"Why the heck lumberjacks?" Matthew felt the need to ask through his laughter. Alfred threw him one of his heroic grins.

"Because that's what Wolverine did when all was lost and Wolverine is awesome!...Too bad that movie wasn't."

Matthew just made a agreeing noise before they fell into a short comfortable silence. The Canadian dubbed it safe to take another sip of his rather refreshing beverage.

"So you want to tell them now?"

Again Matthew nearly chocked.

"N-N-_NOW?" _The blond spattered looking to his twin in horror. Seriously, his brother was taking this far too lightly. He looked like he was simply discussing the weather as he continued to stare out into nothing.

"Yeah, might as well. It's one of the few times that both Dad and Papa are here at the same time. And we better hurry with it too. You know what happens when the two are alone in the house for a while..."

Matthew blushed. Yes he knew. He knew _exactly_ what happened. Especially from the few times he had walked in on them when he had came home earlier when intended and was too quiet for his parents to hear him enter. And they wondered why he was so messed up.

He was so deep in his attempts to block out the images that surfaced in his head that he failed to notice Alfred stand from his seat and head back towards the house. He slid the glass door open and cringed at the sudden cold air that burst out. Holy bat crabs, that was cold.

"Hey! Papa! Dad!" He shouted into the building, breaking his brother out of his haze. "Come out here in five minutes! Mattie has something to tell you! And turn down the AC, don't you guys pay bills or something?"

After he heard the sound of his parents shout something back in response he closed the door and walked back to his seat. He sat back down with a content sigh before he grabbed his drink with a smile. It took him a while before he felt eyes burning into him and he turned to see his brother giving him one of the most horrified expressions he's ever seen. He rose an eyebrow, somehow managing to keep his face straight. "What?" Though Alfred wouldn't admit it, it was kind of entertaining to watch Matthew get so flustered.

Matthew opened his mouth to say something. But all that came out as a high pitched horrified squeak.

"Ah, c'mon Matt, you knew this had to happen at some point," Alfred got up and walked around the small table to settle down on the chair beside him. "Later you'll thank me for forcing you to get it over with so quickly." He reached over and patted him on the back with a small laugh. "You're welcome."

Matthew wanted so madly to yell at his brother. Cuss at him, argue, anything but at that point he seemed to have forgotten how his mouth worked. So instead he just slapped him across the face. Though in his state of extreme shock what he thought was a solid bitch slap turned out to be a simple tap and Alfred just laughed before he pushed his brothers hand away.

It was at the point that the door slid open once more and Matthew whipped his head around so fast that if someone were behind him he was sure his hair would have cut them. Arthur was the first to step out the door, closely followed by a hesitant Francis. For some reason the Frenchman was always wary of heat the first couple hot days of the year, which was very strange. Especially considering his job involved him standing over a hot stove for hours on end.

"Yes? Is there something you wanted to tell us, lad?" Arthur asked toward the still panicking blond. Matthew simply stared at him with his eyes wide before he opened his mouth and said very intelligently, "Eep."

"I think Mattie wants you guys to sit down for this one," Alfred said, rubbing soothing circles into his brothers back to try and get him to calm down. Seriously any more tense and he would probably break his own bones. The married couple looked at each other before they complied.

"Matheiu,is there something wrong?" Francis asked with concern in his voice, seeing Matthew's obvious discomfort.

"Mattie's just being difficult," Alfred stopped rubbing and instead gave him a not to gentle slap. This seemed to be the correct thing to do to get the Canadian out of his daze for as he lunged forward he said,

"AlfredI'mgonnakillyou." Before he coughed awkwardly into his fist and looked down at his shirt. "I-I mean, I, um..."

Arthur raised a furry eyebrow. "Matthew, if Alfred put you up to this you don't have too—"

"N-No!" Matthew interrupted. "I mean, well, y-yes he did but..." He paused and looked over to the American who gave him an encouraging nod and thumbs up. "I...I really do have som-something to tell you two..."

He took a deep breath and looked down at his fidgeting hands. Though he was forced into this situation he knew that he should tell them now. As much as hated to admit it, Alfred was right. He would have to tell them one day anyway and getting it out of the way early would probably make things a bit easier. Even so, he just couldn't bring himself to look up at the older men.

"I-I-I...Ever since I could remember I, um...I could..." He trailed off, thinking that to be a bad starting point. "I've been going to..." That's not a good point either. "There are others who..."

"Dammit, Mattie!" Alfred exclaimed from the sidelines. "Just tell them the good stuff first and we'll talk about the rest later!"

"Alfred! Don't talk to your brother like that!" Arthur scolded before turning back to the younger twin. "Please carry on."

Though Matthew had to agree with Alfred again, even if he was peeved at him. If he started rambling he knew that in the end he would chicken out. He would just have to do this one head on. He clutched the fabric of his jeans and gathered up all the courage he could muster. Which, though not a lot, was enough for him to snap his head up and exclaim,

"I can can see peoples emotions in colours and control them! So these past few weeks I've been sneaking out to met with someone who can help me control my ability!"

And then he promptly let his head smack onto the table in front of him. It hurt, but he didn't even care as he focused on the silence that followed. Great, he told them but now what would happen? And why the heck were they taking so long to say anything? Oh god that meant that they were _thinking_. Oh dear Jesus, why did he listen to Alfred when he said they would never disown him! That was probably _exactly_ what was go—

He was disturbed from his hectic thoughts with a chuckle. But not just any chuckle. No this was low, alluring chuckle that only his French father could pull off. He glanced up from the table to see Francis smiling at him.

"Oh, mon petite soleil_, _is that it?"

Arthur, Alfred and Matthew looked at him in shock. "Y_ou mean you knew?"_

Alfred and Matthew looked at Arthur in shock. "_You knew too_?"

Matthew slapped both of his cheeks in horror. "You mean I didn't even have to do this? And I was panicking for _nothing?"_

Alfred glared at the parents. "What the hell, Dads? Why didn't you tell me you knew?"

Arthur glared back. "Why the bloody hell would I have to tell you? Matthew's the one with the ability!"

"I'm the heroic brother that's been keeping all his secrets! I should know everything!"

Francis seemed to be the only one who wasn't freaking out in some way. "_Of course_ I knew of your ability,Matheiu. You did tell me."

Matthew ignored the arguing beside him and focused on his father. "But... You didn't believe me..."

Francis released a small sigh through his nose. "Non. Non I did not. Not at first. But then I began to met with other people who could do extra ordinary things. Did you knew that Feliciano has an ability as well?"

Matthew blinked. "Feliciano...? Oh! Um, I think you mean Lovino, Papa."

Francis paused before a small sheepish smile escaped his lips. "Oh, yes you are right it was Lovino. I _am_ rather close with the Vargas'. Lovino's mother and I have a history. We share everything. Why else do you think I never questioned where you were going when you go to that club of yours?"

"So you knew about that too?" Jeez, could he not keep a secret from anyone? "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well...," The Frenchman paused to try and find the right words. "I...Did not wish to overwhelm you. I thought that when you were ready to tell me again, then you would tell me again."

"Francis that doesn't make sense," Arthur said, having tuned back into the conversation. "Wouldn't it have been easier on the lad if he didn't have to keep this a secret?"

That was what Matthew was also wondering, though he was glad he wasn't the one who had to say it. The older man responded by crossing his arms and throwing his husband a sly look.

"If that's the way you feel then why didn't you tell him, hum? And how did you even know of Mathieu's ability?"

Arthur froze now feeling everyone's eyes on him. Oh hell what was he going to say? That he learned about it when he was eavesdropping on his sons talking? That he had an ability too? That for the last couple of weeks he's been going about researching these 'abilities' to see if they were real or not? Realizing that the silence was going on for just a bit too long, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"It's because Matthew can't lie his way through a wet paper bag."

Alfred and Francis laughed while Matthew turned a bright red.

"T-That's not true!" Matthew argued uselessly though the fact that he argued only made the two laugh harder. Matthew pouted, trying to stay angry but the laughter was contagious and he soon found himself chuckling along with his family. Even Arthur, the most uptight member of the family, joined in.

It took a few moments for them to calm down. Alfred turned to his brother with a large smile. "You really do kinda suck Ma..." Though his smile faded when he noticed his twins shoulders were still shaking but no longer with laughter. "Whoa, Mattie are you crying?"

"N-_No!_" Matthew lied horribly. He tied to wipe the tears from his face but they just kept falling. "I-I'm just so-so relieved. I-I thought I was gonna be dis-_disowned_!"

Francis couldn't help the small smile that came on his face. "Matheiu..." Leave it to his son to worry over something so ridiculous. He stood and walked around the table towards him. There he knelled down so that he was level with the crying teen and pulled him into a hug, allowing him to sob on his shoulder. "Matheiu_, _I would _never_ disown you! Je t'aime. Je t'aime beaucoup_._"

Alfred suddenly threw his hands up in the air. "Big Gay Group Hug Time!" He exclaimed before he lunged forward and hugged Matthew from behind, causing a small cry of surprise from the Canadian.

"Let the gayness of this hug prove our love for you!" He then turned to Arthur, who was looking at the door as if he wanted to leave. "C'mon, Dad! Join us! The gayness of this hug will not be compete without the last member of our big, gay, family!"

The Brit spattered, his cheeks heating up, but he made no move to...Well, move. Just how could they all manage to do such embarrassing things and not even bat an eye? He blamed Francis, frog was always just so..._Emotional._

"Iggggggggyyyyyyyy~!" Alfred whined, jotting out his bottom lip and flashing his father his puppy dog eyes. Though it proved to be largely ineffective for all it did was cause the harsh gentleman's eyebrow to twitch. But then Francis joined in. He looked at his spouse with his own puppy dog eyes.

"Oh, Artie! Why won't you hug your sons?" Francis said melodramatically, even throwing in his French accent. Arthur's cheeks reddened even deeper and he knew he had him. As much as the British man _said_ he hated everything about France, he could always get him to do what he wanted if he said it in a French accent.

"F-Fine." He got up and went around to the other side of the table. There was a moments hesitation before he awkwardly wrapped his arms around his two sons. Matthew was still to busy hiccoughing to notice but Alfred removed a arm from his brother and wrapped it around his father.

"Yay! Gay Hug complete!" He exclaimed.

Silence.

"...I think my teenage rebellion is starting to kick in," Matthew's muffed voice said from Francis shirt. Within the next few seconds everyone had uncurled themselves from everyone else.

"I really am glad you decided to tell us your secret," Francis said, planting a soft kiss on Matthew's forehead. "So know that we're do whatever it takes to help you with these abilities. Just no more sneaking around, oui?"

Matthew nodded with a small smile, wiping the remaining tears from his cheeks.

"I love you, always remember that, oui?"

Again Matthew nodded and Francis kissed him on the cheek before he turned and went back into the house.

"Y-yes, well Matthew. I...I'm glad you decided to tell us your secret as well," Arthur said, coughing in his fist. "Well, I do have some work to do, so, um..." He gave the Canadian a very awkward pat on the shoulder. "Right." Arthur turned away and walked back into the house as well. He shivered at the sudden cold that hit him.

"B-_Bloody hell_, Francis! Turn the bleeding temperature up!"

"But Artie! I know how we could keep each other warm, hum?"

"D-Don't touch me, you _frog!"_

It was then Matthew and Alfred decided they should leave the house for a while.

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**Translation****s****:  
**M**on petite soleil**** - F****rench for my little sunshine (Cute I know)**  
**Je t'aime. Je t'aime beaucoup - French for I love you. I love you a lot or very much or something along those lines.**

**Aaarrrrggghhhh I don't like writing happy. But this chapter was necessaryyyyyyy ggaaahh derp.**

**Thank you **TheFirstDarkblood, Naruta13, kind-of-heart, Lately, Hikarilightz, Chocola Emo Shizzle, Affera, bombayxprodigy, winterdarknessXD, xxassassinxx18, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, fairy-hime-108, digi-smile, Lumoa, Raining Sun, HappeDaez, XxTehSparklepirexX, XxAlysxX, candy4yourEYEZ, HippieVampire, fan girl 666, Skadiyoko **and **Pieces of Sky **for the reviews!**

**Thank you for reading!**

**Random Countdown: 4**


	19. Omake 2

**Hey guys! Kitty 29 here with the second Omake of this series! I ****was ****originally gonna hold this up until later but I'm having a bit of a writers block with the new chapter and dunno when I'll update it, and this was already mostly written so...  
Yes.**

**Enjoy! ^^  


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****What if?****  
As I write I sometimes get those stupid ideas on how the chapter or the story would change if there was just a little twist in the basic plot. So what if...**

**Gilbert and Matthew's abilities were switched?**  
Matthew scratched under his gloves as he exited the school grounds. He had been wearing these things for as long as he could remember, but even so they just made his hands so sweaty and itchy. He couldn't wait to get home and take these things off.

"Hey Birdie," Gilbert smoothly strolled up to the Canadian and matched his pace. "Leaving so soon? Why don't you and I hit the arcade?"

"You're just asking because you ran out of money again, didn't you?"

Gilbert just shrugged and smiled charmingly at the blond and Matthew sighed.

"Thought so. Sorry, Gil, not today. Got to do this essay about this old dead fat guy who apparently did something of importance."

"_Boring._ C'mon, just an hour and then I'll drive you home so you can do your boring shit."

Matthew gave him a look that clearly said, 'I don't believe it' before he turned down a street towards his house. Though Gilbert had driven to school that day and his car was in the opposite direction, he followed suit.

"Nothing you can say can get me to go. I need to do this essay."

"What if I don't say anything?" Gilbert said with a malicious smirk slowly creeping on his face. "Maybe if I just increase that yellow and take away that violet..."

"You wouldn't!" Matthew warned, but he could already see the albinos eye harden in concentration and he shoved him away to stop him. "Ass! Two can play at that game!" He tugged off one of his gloves and went to grab at Gilbert's bare skin. Gilbert moved away laughing.

"Hey! Don't touch me you perv!"

"You started i—hey! So it _was_ you who stole my cupcake!"

"I'll deny it 'til the end!"

**Alfred had a ability?**  
"Mattie, I'm freakin' _bored_!"

The Canadian turned around and glared at his twin. He had been researching some old dead guy for the last four hours, if anyone was bored, it was _him._ "Suck it up, Al. Go watch TV or something."

"There's nothing good on." Alfred pouted, crossing his arms in a childish huff. Matthew just rolled his eyes before he turned back to his essay, deciding against gracing his brother with an answer.

Alfred huffed again before he grabbed onto his trusty baseball that he forced the Canadian to keep on his bedside table. Oh baseball, how many hours had he wasted absentmindedly tossing you in the air and catching you? Too many to count, far too many. Smiling to himself, he tossed the ball in the air.

_CRASH_

Matthew jumped at the noise and turned back to Alfred shielding his face from the debris and dust that came showering down from the ceiling.

"_Alfred!"_ Matthew cried in disbelief before he shot up to go see the damage. "Can I not turn my back away from you for _two seconds?"_

"Yeah I'm fine thanks for asking," Alfred replied sarcastically. He coughed up some dust that managed to get inside his mouth before getting up from Matthew's bed and stumbling over to the other side of the room.

"Jesus, Al," Matthew breathed as he looked up at the baseball sized hole in his ceiling. And of course it had to be over his bed, _of course_ it did. He sighed before shaking his head. "Out of _all_ the abilities you could have gotten. _Super strength."_

"Sorry, Mattie," Alfred said with a sheepish laugh. "I'm still getting used to this. You can sleep with me until it's fixed, 'kay?"

Matthew just gave him an blank stare before he walked past him and out the door. "_Papa!_ Alfred's misusing his ability again!"

"No I'm not! Mattie's just jealous cause my power's better!"

**Matthew had multiple personality disorder with his alter being Alfred and they both had different abilities?**  
"Yeah...I can see emotions in colours." Matthew said finally, and honestly it felt good to say it aloud. He had kept it a secret for so long. He breathed a sigh of relief before he looked up at the Prussian with a small sheepish smile. "And because you touched me I guess you know about Alfred too?"

"That he's powerful or something? Yeah I know," Prussia clarified with a nod of his head. They continued to walk in comfortable silence. They were heading to go see Lovino so that Matthew could introduce himself to yet another person with abilities. They would have taken Gilbert's car but, well, it broke down before it even started.

"Speaking of Alfred," Gilbert said, deciding to break the silence. "I haven't seen him at school for a while. What's up with that?"

"Oh, he's around," Matthew said with a shrug. "He doesn't really like sitting through classes anymore so he usually just sticks to after school now."

"Huh, little bastards got it good."

Matthew smiled at that. "Yeah, he leaves me to do both our work. He doesn't even show up for American history anymore, and he's the one who chose that course!"

Gilbert chuckled. "What a tool, smart one though. He has you eating out of his hand."

Matthew pushed him playfully. "Shut up," he said with a smile. They shared a laugh before there was another short silence.

"Anyway," Gilbert said, breaking the silence again. "Guess I should explain some stuff about abilities while we're going. So from now on I'm going to be your awesome guide and what that basically means is..." He trailed off when he noticed the Canadian wasn't walking beside him anymore. He blinked before turning behind him to see that Matthew had stopped walking and was looking down at the sidewalk with his eyes closed. "Matt?"

The blonds eyes flickered back open and he stood up straighter, more confidently. "Sorry lover boy, Mattie's not here right now." He took off his glasses and put them away before grabbing a new pair and slipping those on instead. "Instead you get the hero! Miss me didn't you, freak?"

As he walked back up towards the albino he reached up and tied his hair back into a simple ponytail, completing his look as Alfred—or the most he could do without an entire wardrobe change.

"Alfred, of course I missed you. I missed you and all your fat ass ways."

"Hey, it's still Mattie's body," Alfred said with a pout. "If I didn't use my epic hamburger eating skills to save him this kid would probably die! Seriously I'm so hungry I could eat my childhood memories!"

Gilbert rose an eyebrow. "What the hell kind of expression is that?"

Alfred smirked. "Like it? I made it up to show how hungry I am, so lets stop by Micky Dee's or something!"

"McDonald's, you would you fat ass."

"I'm not a fat ass, dick! Now come on, I'll buy you a drink or something."

"Fine."

/ / / \ \ \

"...I still can't believe that you can down five big macs like it's nothing while Matt can barely get through one." Gilbert commented after the other teen crumpled up his last wrapper and tossed it among the others on the table. Alfred burped loudly and patted his stomach with a satisfying smirk.

"I told you. Mattie _always_ leaves me hungry. If I didn't know any better I would think he was starving himself."

Gilbert had to agree with the alter. He rarely ever saw Matthew eat but with Alfred it was hard to find him without some kind of edible substance in hand. He took a sip of the drink the blond bought him before he asked his question. "Okay, now that you're done can I talk to Matt again?"

Alfred's smile slipped and he stared at the albino. "Believe me, wait at _least_ an hour before you talk to Mattie. Plus I'm the hero!" He smiled his confident smile and even winked. "I'm _way_ better company than that wuss!"

Gilbert countered him with a simple smirk. "C'mon, Alfred. We both know Matt and I were in the middle of something important, something that even you're apart of. I just have to clear up a few things with him before I can talk to you."

Alfred just continued to stare at him with that not amused expression. After a few moments he sighed and leaned forward so that his elbows rested against the table. "FINE. But don't say I didn't warn you."

He gave Gilbert one last look before he closed his eyes and forced his face to go neutral. He's body physically slumped before he slowly opened his eyes again. Though this was not the face of Alfred looking back at him. "Mmmm...huh?...Eh?" Matthew squatted his eyes at the albino. "Gil...Gil is that you?"

He than took a sniff of the air before he looked at the golden arch printed on the bag in front of him. "...Are we at McDonald's? "

"Welcome back Matt." Gilbert said, lifting his cup to him with a smirk. "Yeah, Alfred practically forced me here with his fat ass. He just ate a couple of burgers and bought me a drink, but nothing too fantastic."

But Matthew didn't even look like he was listening to the others report. He was looking in a completely random direction, a spaced look on his face as his body swayed slightly. "Uhh...My visions blurry..."

Gilbert watched Matthew pull the elastic out of his hair in confusion. "That's because you're still wearing Alfred's glasses, yours are in your pocket." His gaze turned into one of worry when his friends face took on a greenish tinge. "...Are you okay?"

Matthew doubled over and clutched onto his stomach with a groan. "I...I think I'm gonna be sick."

"What? SHIT!" Gilbert shot up and grabbed his friend by the arm, quickly leading him to the washrooms.

_BLEGH!_

"Hot," Gilbert commented from just outside. Luckily he managed to shove Mathew into the bathroom just before he blow his load, saving the cleaning staff from some disgusting work.

Matthew groaned before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and flushing down his stomach juices. "Damn Alfred!" He cussed before turning on the water and splashing the liquid in his mouth to try and get rid of the taste. "He knows I can't stomach all these burgers like he can!"

Gilbert looked towards the door and raised an eyebrow. He knew that Alfred and Matthew were two different people—at least that what he was told—but even so didn't they share the same stomach? How the hell is it possible for one to be weaker than the other?

Though he pushed the thought aside when he saw the blond walk out of the room with his glasses back on his nose. He knew that if he asked Matthew's reply would just be: 'it's because Alfred isn't me' which really solved nothing.

"Right. You ready to go?" He said instead and Matthew nodded.

"Yeah, let's go."

With a nod they left the store and continued on their way to the Vargas household.

"So are we done with Alfred for the day?"

"I doubt it. He always gets excited when his ability is brought up. He'll probably came back shortly after we met Lovino."

"I'll be waiting with open arms and a baseball bat."

"It's still my body, you know!"

**Romano accepted his love for Antonio?**  
Psssstttt, yeah right.

**Story Bits****  
Usually when I write a chapter there's at least a paragraph that gets cut out because it was too long or because it disturbed the flow of the story.**

**Puppy Dog Eyes****  
In the last chapter, Chapter 18: Th****e Family, originally Matthew was the one who was going to give Arthur puppy dog eyes and guilt trip him into joining the Big Gay Hug but it seemed too OOC so I scraped it.**

"Iggggggggyyyyyyyy~!" Alfred whined, jotting out his bottom lip and flashing his father his puppy dog eyes. Though it proved to be largely ineffective for all it did was cause the harsh gentleman's eyebrow to twitch. But then Matthew joined in.

He lifted his head from Francis' shoulder and looked straight at Arthur with his large violet blue eyes that were shining thanks to his earlier tear shedding. He jotted out his bottom lips as well, even managing to make it quiver a bit.

"Arthur..." He said meekly, lowering his head and looking up at his step-father under his eyelashes. Arthur reeled.

Caution! Caution! Cuteness level has risen to a dangerous point! Is is even _possible_ for a teen to be that adorable? Surely there had to be some law against it!

"F-Fine," Arthur said, giving up.

**Random Extras****  
Some times when I'm writing I write these little extras that are in the Colours universe, but have nothing to do with the story or I can't find a place to put them in.**

**Sore Spots****  
Setting – The Bonnefoy-Kirkland household. Any normal day.**

"Francis! Francis I didn't mean it just come out already!"

"_Non!_"

Arthur growled before he thumped his head against the door. Damn Frenchman! Really, this was his fault for being so damn..._Emotional!_

"Whoa, is Dad actually in trouble for a change?"

"This is so rare..."

"Quickly, get the camera."

Arthur turned his annoyed glare to the twins and within moments the two had scampered, not wanted to be in the middle of their parents squat. Arthur sighed before he again thumped his head against the door.

"Francis this is ridiculous, just come out so we can talk about th—"

"I don't want to talk to you, you insensitive swine!"

"All I bloody said was 'doughy!'"

Francis retort was spoken in rapid heavy accented french, and although Arthur knew the language conversationally, he had no idea what was said. He sighed again before he turned around and sat with his back against the door. If this was a battle of stubborn that he wanted, than a battle is what he would get.

Thinking back on it now, this whole situation was just so stupid. They had gotten into an argument over, what was it? Groceries, the kids? He couldn't even remember anymore. Whatever, the fact of the matter was that they had gotten into an argument. Now arguments between the two were as common as dinner. They were always pretty pointless, usually only lasted for about fifteen minutes or so, and almost always ended up in the bedroom. Though this was one of the times when the daily argument went a bit too far, when Arthur had accidentally trended on one of Francis' sore spots. His body.

It was a very strange thing for the Frenchman to be sore about, as he wasn't shy to flaunt his body about. Though to maintain such an _magnifique _figurehe had to constantly be at the gym. Before he got married, he was there at least four times a week. But _after _he got married...

Well, with the twins, therapy sessions, cooking, cleaning and not to mention getting promoted to head chief at the restaurant he worked at and having to work with high quantity ingredients...Well, it would be safe to assume that he didn't have as much time to work on his 'perfect' body. So whatever something was said, something like, oh um, 'you're looking a little doughy around the edges', he could get a little...Touchy.

"Are you still there?" He heard Francis ask with edge in his voice. Didn't sound like he was wearing down.

"...Yes."

Silence.

Silence.

...

More silence.

"Fine! I bloody...I apologize!" Arthur finally gave up and stood from his spot. "You still look as good as the day I met you, _okay_?"

There was a pause before the door creaked open and a sea blue eye looked out. "...Really?"

"Yes, really. And you, um..." Arthur coughed into his fist and looked elsewhere, his cheeks a light pink. "You...Look better now than you did back then..."

Another pause before the door opened fully and Francis stood there smiling at his spouse. "Oh Artie, you are so cute when you're honest." He said before pulling the other into a hug, which Arthur, with no witnesses around, returned. "But you didn't have to worry, I would have had to come out sooner or later. Dinner does not cook itself, non?"

Arthur pulled away from the hug so that he could raise an eyebrow at the blond. "I could have made dinner."

Francis laughed before shaking his head. "Mon amour, as much as I love you, your cooking could be used as rat poison."

Arthur completely pulled himself away from his husband with a hardened expression. Then he walked past the male and went into the room he was previously in, slamming the door behind him. There was a pause as Francis fully registered exactly what he said to the Brit. He turned around and pounded on the door with slight panic.

"Arthur! Arthur I didn't mean it! Come out, s'il vous plaît!"

"Go away you bleeding wanker!"

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**Tis that be all for neigh!(I don't think that makes sense, whatever)**

**Oh! Oh and, random, if you want to submit a random 'what if' idea for me to write or whatever for the next omake that would be cool. I would love to hear your ideas! (and I fail ****b****y myself OTL)**

**Thank you **Lately, Blobers, XxTehSparklepirexX, Hikarilightz, Jou-pup, XxAlysxX, Miss T Hyuga, Meeve, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, fairy-hime-108, Lumoa, Chocola Emo Shizzle, fan girl 666, digi-smile, nondescriptive, random reviewer with no name, happedaez, Axxi **and **Kendall N.S. **for the reviews!**

**Next chapter will up as soon as I can! In the meantime please review!**

**Random Countdown: Error, Error. 4 remaining.**


	20. Dad

**Hey guys! Kitty29 here with a new chapter of Colours! Now I know I said that I had writers block and didn't know when I would be updating but the weird thing about writers block is while I expected it to last maybe a week or so, it only lasted two days. So I really should have waited before I posted that last omake. I blame bombayxprodigy so hard!  
**

**Anyways, this is a bit late but I think it was** XxTehSparklepirexX** who wrote my 300th review! Thank you so much! Next milestone, 400! Baby, here I come!**

**Last announcement, F-Yeah, 20 chapters! Holy frinkin' crap guys! This is the longest story I have _ever _written. _EVER. _And I thank everyone who has reviewed, fav'd, alerted or read this story tis far! I may not reply to the reviews but I read and enjoy every single one of them. So thank you again guys!**

**Please Enjoy!  


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"You okay, Matt? You look a little out of it."

The young blond looked up at his concerned Cuban friend with a small sheepish smile and shrugged. Another week meant another visit to his mentor. This was the forth meeting that he had been to, meaning a month had passed since he first set foot in the sketchy warehouse. In that month he had managed to became a part of the small group of people that came here week after week.

"No, I'm fine, it's just..." Matthew sighed before he rested his arms on the table in front of him and placed his head on top of them. "It's just...My Papa dropped me off here today. Well, not _here_ but at the bus spot I usually get off at."

"...Huh." Was all Estefan could think of saying. He didn't see what the big deal was about hitching a ride with ones parents. "I don't get it."

"I told my parents about my ability the other day," Matthew explained further and the people at the table all 'oh'd in understanding.

"And how did that go?" Toris asked in a gentle tone, knowing that sometimes coming out to parents didn't always end well, such as the case with he and his brothers.

Matthew sighed again. "I...They already knew."

There was a small pause before both Estefan and Ivan laughed at the teen, and Roderich turned away to try and hide his smirk.

"Oh Matvey, you really are bad at lying," Ivan said with amusement before he pulled out his iPod and focused his attention on that instead. Estefan continued to laugh as he slapped the Canadian on the back, earning a squeak of displeasure.

"Yeah, you couldn't lie your way out of a wet paper bag!"

"Why does everyone say that?" Matthew asked exasperated and it only served to make his older friend laugh harder, smacking his palm against the table in glee. Meanwhile Ivan gave a small sigh of disappointment as his iPod stopped working.

"Ahh...It's dead." Ivan pouted.

"Oh, I'll charge it for you," Toris said, holding out his hand. Ivan smiled his creepy childlike smile at the brown haired male.

"Ah! Thank you comrade." He placed his dead device into the others hand. As soon as the music player touched his skin it flickered back to life and happily reported that it was charging.

"You're welcome," Toris said politely before he turned back to the blushing blond. "So it went well? That's good."

Matthew, glad that someone was talking to him so that he could ignore his laughing friend, immediately answered. "Y-Yeah it went fine. It's a bit weird now though, they keep asking questions about it. And my Papa got invited to Tony's forum the day after I told him."

Roderich clicked his tongue in annoyance and crossed his arms. "Parents joining the forum. It is never something that ends well."

"I hear that," Estefan added, now over his laughing spell. "My mom trolls all my posts and messages me every time I make a spelling mistake."

At this everyone shivered, thinking about just how awful that would be. Matthew desperately hoped that Francis would not be one of those parents.

"Where is Liz?" Ivan asked randomly, completely changing the subject.

"Elizabeta? She's not well." Roderich answered. "She is staying home so she will not spread her cold to us."

"That's too bad. I hope she gets better soon," Toris said. Ivan seemed to share another opinion as he shook his head in disappointment.

"A leader should always show up to their own gathering, no matter how broken they are," Ivan started, that smile still on his face as he bad mouthed the girl. "If _I _was the leader, I know some things would change..."

Roderich narrowed his eyes at the Russian. "For the last time Ivan, you are _not_ becoming this groups leader! You should be thankful we even allow you here anymore."

"Oh, don't be so upset little Roderich, especially not over me," Ivan retorted as he leaned forward and rested his hands under his chin. "You just go on with your life...and I'll focus on mine, da?"

"Okay!" Toris quickly exclaimed, wanting to break up whatever argument he was sure would follow before it started. "It's bit late isn't it about time for us to..." He trailed off when he looked down at Ivan's iPod and saw the time flash up at him. His eyes widened as he jumped out of his chair.

"Goodness! I'm late!" He put the device down on the table and slid it towards the Russian. "I'm sorry! But I have to go! It was nice seeing everyone again!" And he was up those stairs so fast that Matthew swore he would have missed the impressive fret if he had blinked.

Ivan chuckled at the Lithuanian's plight before he too looked down at his semi charged device. "Da, it is getting late. Now should be a good time to leave." He pocketed the music player before he stood, looking down at the Canadian that was seated beside him. "Do you remember your task for the week, Matvey?"

Matthew nodded. "Yes, 'identify which colour means what'. But I already have an idea of what they mean, can't we—"

"An idea, Matvey. An idea is not good enough. You need to know." He placed a large hand down on the smaller males shoulder and gave it a bit too forceful squeeze. "Don't question my methods comrade. Good bye~!"

And so he left, leaving the Canadian to rub the spot his hand was previously on. Estefan frowned at the Russian before he turned to his friend.

"Are you _sure_ you don't want me to train you?" The Cuban asked again for the, who knows how many times now.

"I'm sure," Matthew nodded before he rolled his shoulder in an attempt to lessen the slight pain. Truthfully, though creepy, the lessons with Ivan were going quite well. Although the tasks assigned were rather simple, Matthew really felt as if he was getting more in control of his ability. "N-Not that I don't want you to train me, it's just that our abilities are too different and—"

The Cuban held up a hand to stop him. "It's okay, I get it. But there's just...Something about that guy that creeps me out."

"You and everyone who has had the pleasure of speaking to the large oaf," Roderich said, sighing through his nose before he turned to the Cuban. "If you are leaving I would like the keys."

Estefan nodded before he pulled the keys from his pocket and slid it across the table at the dark haired man. "Remember to lock the back doors as well." Estefan said before he turned and nodded at Matthew, who gathered up his stuff before he exited the building along with the dark skinned man.

"Can we go and get some ice cream or something?" Matthew asked as he shielded his eyes from the harsh setting sun. "I don't really want to go home right now."

"Why? Parents killing you with questions?" Estefan asked with a smirk and Mathew just sighed.

"Yeah, plus I have this literary project I have to work on when I get back. It's worth a lot of marks and of course I get teamed up with _Scott Hembleton._" He waved his hands in the air when he said the name, hinting that this guy was some kind of big shot. "The guy who's just gonna make fun of my hair the whole time then make me do all the work."

"That sucks," Estefan sympathized as he tugged out his pack of cigarettes. "Jackass's like him were one of the reasons I dropped out."

"No more Scott Hembleton's...That does sound tempting," Matthew sighed before he ran a hand through his hair. "Do you ever regret dropping out?"

"Only when I'm job hunting," he answered honestly before he lit up his thumb to light his fag. "But now that I have a job, nope." There was a short pause before he quickly added. "You should stay in school though."

"I plan to. Even if I wanted to drop out my parents would _kill_ me befor..." He trailed off when a familiar looking car suddenly came into view. "...I think that's Arthur's car."

And sure enough his suspicions were only confirmed when the car puled over and out came the mentioned Brit. He waved over to the Canadian to make sure that he saw him, and timidly Matthew waved back, his body tensing. The two stopped walking as Estefan looked over to the rather sharply dressed British man with a raised eyebrow.

"So this is your 'Papa?'" He questioned as he took a drag and exhaled the smoke. He looked between the two before he shook his head. "You look nothing alike."

"That's because this is my step-dad," Matthew answered in a whisper, even though his father was a good ways away from them. "I have two Dads."

Estefan just took another drag. "...Huh." Was all Estefan could think of saying.

"Oh no, he's coming this way!" Matthew exclaimed with slight panic in his voice. He eyes flickered between his friend and the cigarette hanging loosely between his lips. "Do you mind...?"

"...Oh! Sure." The Cuban throw his fag to the ground and quickly stomped it out just as the British man made his way over.

"Hello, Matthew," Arthur greeted, stopping just a few feet away from the pair.

"Hi Arthur," Matthew greeted back with a small wave, not meeting the others gaze.

"So, hum," Arthur coughed into his fist. "This is..."

"Oh!" Matthew gestured to the dark haired man beside him. "This is, um, this is Estefan. Estefan, Arthur."

The two exchanged small greetings before Arthur turned his attention back to his step son. "Yes, well, I just thought I would come here and pick you up. Francis was going to come but he fell asleep so..."

"Oh, well okay... Actually, I was going to, um," he glanced at the larger man. "Hang out with Estefan for a bit and then take the bus home so..."

"Actually, you should go home with your Dad," the Cuban said, scratching at his stubble. "I have some errands to ran, so..."

"Ah... Another time then?"

"Yeah, another time." Estefan looked at the British man and nodded his head. "It was nice to met you, sir," he said before he walked past the older man and towards his home. God that was awkward, he was really hoping that that was just a one time thing between the two and it wasn't like that all the time. Making sure the Brit wasn't watching he pulled out his beloved pack of nicotine once more.

The family members nodded at each other before they stepped into the car and drove off. They didn't speak to each other as they went. Matthew opted to watching the the scenery past by as Arthur occasionally glanced over at the teen. Well, okay Francis, so he went to pick up your son in your place. Now what was he really hoping to accomplish? For them to have some kind of miracle bonding moment? Well, how things were going now that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Arthur supposed that he would have to be the grown up in the relationship—which technically he was—and start the conversation.

"So, Estefan. Isn't he a bit old?" Damn, not really the way he wanted it to start but it was the first thing that came out. Matthew didn't even take the his eyes away from the window as he answered. "He's not that much older than me."

"Just has that...Facial hair and smokes, eh?"

Matthew tensed at that last bit. So he saw that anyway huh? "I-I'm not dating him or anything."

Arthur arched an eyebrow. "I never assumed you were. Why, do you want to date him?"

At this Matthew turned to look at him, his face red. "Wha—? N-No. _No_! Why? D-Do you think I would go for guys like that? I, I mean, you think I'm gay?"

Well, definitely not the direction he was expecting the conversation to go in, but at least they were conversing. "I don't know, lad. It's okay if you are I mean, look at your father and I."

Matthew was rendered speechless. He tried to speak but couldn't find the correct words to reply to the Brit's ridiculous statement. Finally he decided to simply laugh and turn back to the window. "You'll know when I bring my first boyfriend home." He then said something absentmindedly that caused a number of events to happen. "Dad."

First, Arthur practically slammed on his breaks in surprise and promptly pulled over to the side of the road before he caused some kind of accident. Second, Matthew had something that he assumed only happened in movies and crappy soap operas; he had a flashback.

"_I don't__ know why but...Ever since you know..." Matthew looked up at the older female with a shrug. "'The incident' I haven't been able to call him Dad. I mean, I've tried but... The word just doesn't come out..."_

"_You know what I think it is?" Dr. John said, lightly chewing at the end of her pen as she did her job. "I think that because you think you are the one to blame for this 'incident', whatever it is..." She paused to allow __the male to jump in and fill her in on the details. When that didn't happen she continued. "Because of that you won't let anyone get close to you in the off chance__you might hurt them."_

_Matthew looked up at her in shock. "N-no that can't be the reason, Dr. John! I—"_

"_You know, I noticed someth__ing," the female interrupted. "In the two years we've known each other, not once, even when I ask you to, have you ever called me Eliza." She rested her elbows on her knee and smiled at the boy. "Now why do you think that is?"_

_Matthew closed his mouth when he realized why he never called the women by her first name. It was so he could distance himself from her, for the exact reason she had said._

"_It's fine," Eliza stated, leaning back in her chair and offering the Canadian a warm smile. "The day you begin to put this incident behind you is the day you'll__ be able to let more people into your life."_

_Matthew returned the smile before he looked back down at his fumbling hands. He certainly hoped that that would one day be true..._

The third thing that happened was the two males looking at each other, both breathing heavily. Arthur's sudden driving stunt causing adrenaline to course through their bodies.

"D...Did you just...?" Arthur questioned and Matthew slowly nodded.

"I...I think I did..." Making sure it wasn't some kind of fluke he tried again. "Dad..." He breathed before he began to grow excited. "Dad! Dad, Dad, Dad. _DAD_!"

In an uncharacteristic show of affection, Matthew lunged forward and wrapped his arms around the others neck, laughing in absolute glee. Arthur, feeling as uncharacteristically giddy as his adoptive son, promptly returned the hug with just as much feeling, also laughing in happiness. They remained this way until the seat belts they were still wearing began to dig into their necks uncomfortably and they returned back to their seats, still smiling at each other and giggling as if high.

"I can't believe this is...I mean after all this time..." Matthew said in disbelief placing a hand on his forehead to make sure he wasn't running a fever and this was some hallucination. Arthur laughed again before he reached over and ruffled the boys head affectionately.

"I knew you would came through one day, lad." He smiled at him again before he decided that now would be a good time to get the car back on the road and continue towards their home.

"How do you think Papa will take it?"

"Ah, Francis, right. Make sure he's not busy when he hears you say it. Knowing him he'll cry."

Matthew laughed, "Yeah, and clung to the closest person to him. Which will be..."

"Me," Arthur finished with a sigh, though he was still smiling. "But it's fine. It's small price to pay."

They continued on for a while in conformable silence, their grins not slipping from their faces in the slightest. It wasn't until they hit their first red light did the the Brit speak.

"Do you want ice cream?"

"_God_ yes."

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**Another sappy, happy, necessary chapter complete -head, met desk-  
Also, f-yeah Michael Jackson. Would not be able to get through this chapter without that wonderful man. I raise my cup to you, Michael! Dead in body but never in spirit! **

**Thank you **piratemaki, fairy-hime-108, italiachick13, Cherry Maiden,Ayla The Librarian, XxTehSparklepirexX, XxAlysxX, Lately, Chocola Emo Shizzle, Someoneinparticular, Glimmyfrost7, lilredd3394, fan girl 666, EnergyEmber, Axxi, Jou-pup, Sakima Hebi **and **HappeDaez** for the reviews!**

**Thanks for**** reading and please review!**

**Random Countdown: 3 **


	21. Going Back

**Hey guys! Kitty29 here with a new chapter of Colours!  
For once I, uh, have nothing to say. Ehhh... this is a good chapter?  
**

**Kay, enjoy!  


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**Alfred looked at his reflection and frowned at what he saw. It wasn't because he thought he was unattractive, oh no far from it. Hell, he was probably one of the best catches in school! But that wasn't the issue, the issue was that he just looked so...ordinary compared to his dreams.

When he had first started having those dreams about two months ago he was lucky if he had one a week, but for the past few days he's been having them every time he rested his eyes for a few minutes. They weren't bad dreams, in fact the were amazing dreams. Awesome dreams. Dreams where anything good that could happen, happened.

Unfortunately the problem with having dreams like that was when he awoke he was forced to come back face to face with reality, which was quickly making the dreams not worth having. Seriously, it was almost like they were mocking him now. Constantly tricking him by dangling food in front of his face then tugging it away right when he was about to grab it.

A timid knock on his door brought him from his thoughts. Quickly, he jumped away from his mirror and onto his bed. He rather people not know now much time he spent eyeing himself thank you very much.

"Come in!" He called and the door opened to reveal his twin, who smiled when they met eyes.

"Hi, Al," Matthew greeted, wasting no time in walking up to the bed and taking a seat beside his brother.

"Hey, Mattie," Alfred greeted back shifting so that Matthew could have enough room to get comfortable. "So whats up? Thought you were lurking some forums or something."

Matthew shrugged. "Just checking to see if anyone replied to my post."

Alfred, curious if anyone replied back and said that they also shared Matthew ability, asked for the outcome.

"A few people replied back, but none with my ability." Matthew said with a sigh. "But that's not why I'm here. You know what happens on Fridays, right?"

Alfred made a face. Friday...Friday...Friday? Fri. Day.

_Friday!_

Frrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiday.

"...The day we try and convince the chief to let us do take out?" Alfred asked unsure, smiling sheepishly at the other. Matthew laughed.

"No, well, yeah, but no." He looked down at his fumbling hands at this point and Alfred grew more curious at his sudden nervous state. "It's...It's the day that the club meets up...you know..."

Alfred blinked. "Wait, do you mean the abilities club that you stopped going to like, a month ago?"

Matthew slowly nodded, still not meeting the blonds eyes. "Yeah, that one...I...I'm thinking of going back..."

At this Alfred grew excited and he reached forward and gripped onto his brothers nervous hands. "Really? You're going back? Can I come? Please?"

Matthew couldn't help but smile at his brothers excited state. "Y-Yeah. I came to ask if you wanted to come, actually."

A large grin appeared on Alfred's face before he began to bounce happily in place. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! _HELLZ YES!_ Can we leave now? How many people do you think will be there? Should I bring my camera? Should I take notes? On a scale of one to ten how _awesome_ are the other peopl—"

Matthew eased a hand out of his brothers grip and slapped it over Alfred's mouth. "_Alfred! _Enough!" He scolded with a laugh. "It's really not as fanatical as it sounds. It's just...It's just like a after school meeting kind of thing. Don't treat it like some kind of freak show, okay?" He made sure that Alfred nodded in understanding before he removed his hand.

"So...no camera?" Alfred simplified with a shrug and Matthew shook his head.

"No camera." Although Matthew was certainly scared of facing those people again on his own, he was sure that with his brother and his stupid antics on his side, he would manage. "Now c'mon, let's go. We're already late."

Literally leaping off the bed Alfred dragged Matthew along with him as he quickly walked out the door, chatting excitedly as he went.

"Oh man I can't wait for this! I can't wait to see what everyone's powers are! Wonder if any of them have secret identities. Oh man, this could be like Superman! Or the Flash! Or, OH! The _Green Lantern_!"

/ / / \ \ \

"Thanks for the ride, Dad." Matthew thanked as he shut the car door behind him. Arthur rolled down the window and looked out at the twins, who were still hand in hand. The same from when they first left Alfred's room.

"Any time, lad. I'll see you in a few hours, okay?"

"See you soon, daddyo." Alfred waved as Arthur reversed his car and drove away. Alfred turned to Matthew and smirked. "'This is gonna be so awesome."

"It's really not that great." But even so Mathew couldn't help his smile back.

They walked into the building and paused in front of the door where the meeting was taking place. Matthew grew increasingly nervous as he heard the various voices waft through the door and he froze up.

"May...Maybe this wasn't a good idea..." And he turned to leave seeming to forget that he was still holding hands with his twin.

"Mattie," Alfred tugged the blond back. "C'mon, no mater what happens, I'll be here to protect you, okay?" He gave Matthew's hand a reassuring squeeze and the Canadian smiled timidly at the other.

"O-Okay..." Matthew took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself. "I...I trust you okay?"

Alfred flashed him his heroic grin. "Of course! I'm the Hero! And I'll always protect my side kick!"

If he wasn't a bundle of nerves Matthew would have protested against being called a side kick but in this situation he let it slide. "Okay..." He breathed, "I think I'm ready. But they are in the middle of the meeting so maybe we should just sneak in..."

However, it would seem that Matthew forgot that he was talking to Alfred F. Bonnefoy-Kirkland. Who, in all aspects, was not one for subtlety. Raising a foot he kicked the door open with a loud _BANG,_ instantly gaining the attention of everyone in the room. Which, unfortunately for Matthew, seemed to be a rather large group for once.

"HEY GUYS!" Alfred exclaimed, puffing out his chest. "The Hero, Alfred F. Bonnefoy-Kirkland is finally here! Along with my side kick, Mattie!" He raised both his and Matthew's hands as if to display his twin. Though as this point Matthew was shielding his burning face and praying for the floor to shallow him up. "The manipulater of emotions!"

Quite was the thing that followed the American's over dramatic entrance and Matthew hated it. Seriously, he would be forever grateful to whoever would break the increasingly uncomfortable silence.

"Welcome back, Birdie."

The Canadian looked up at the Prussian. Clearly not the person that he wanted to be forever grateful towards but hell he'll take what he could get. He offered him a small wave. "Hey, Gilbert."

From there on the meeting actually took a turn for the better, much to Matthew's pleasure. He was even able to apologize to Feliciano, who quickly accepted it while on the verge of tears. Apparently he for some reason assumed the Canadian hated him, which he now knew was untrue. The others greeted him as if he hadn't vanished for a month after a breakdown and actually put up with Alfred's random outbursts every time they even brushed upon the subject of abilities. Though the American was being his loud and rather embarrassing self Matthew was still glad he was there. Not once did he ever leave his side and always looked over and gave Matthew a reassuring smile every time the Canadian began to feel nervous. All in all he was being a very supportive, older twin brother. Well, until...

"Hey."

Matthew turned to the side to see Gilbert taking a seat next to him.

"...Hi." Matthew timidly greeted back. He was uncomfortable. _God_ was he uncomfortable, but he knew this had to happen sooner or later. "Gilbert I—"

"You know, I think you're taller than me."

Matthew blinked at the random observation and stood just a little straighter. Had he really grown? He was sure that when he first met with the Prussian he was the shorter of the pair. "Really?"

Also sitting up straighter, Gilbert placed his hand flat on his head before gliding it over to Matthew. He stopped his hand just before it hit his skin, and he frowned when he found that his hand fell just short of the blond's full height. "Yeah, really. Damn, my age does nothing for my height." He pouted, awesomely, before he crossed his arms and slumped down on his chair. Matthew couldn't help the small upturn of his lips.

"Maybe it's all that coffee and beer you drink." He offered with a shrug. Gilbert made a 'pst' sound.

"Screw that. I'd rather be a midget than give up beer."

He smiled when he saw that that earned him a small laugh. Perhaps is didn't have to be just as awkward as he thought it would be. He, too, seemed to forget that Alfred F. Bonnefoy-Kirkland was in the room. And if there was one thing that the American lacked, it was subtlety.

"Hey. Freak." Alfred began, swinging an arm over his brothers shoulders protectively. "Let me make this perfectly clear. Stop messing with my brother or I'll kick your ass."

Gilbert scoffed before he turned to the louder of the twins. "I think Matt here's old enough to decide who he wants to talk to without some idiot hanging off him."

Alfred narrowed his eyes at the other and leaned in over his brother so that he would get closer to the albino. "The only idiot I see is _you._"

Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Great come back, moron."

"You're the moron!"

"Al...," This was probably the one thing Matthew thought he should take care of on his own. But, knowing Alfred, he probably wouldn't respect that.

"I don't know what you did to Mattie but he was a mess for days!"

"_Al!" _Okay, that was something that the Prussian didn't need to know.

"Yeah! He was crying in his room for days! I had to deliver all his meals up personally!"

"_Alfred!" S_eriously, he needed to find a way to get him to shut up. Now. Looking frantically around the room, his eyes settled on a certain dark haired male. "Did you know Kaoru can make shields?"

Excitedly, the American retreated his arm from around Matthew's shoulders and looked over at the grade schooler. "No way! Seriously? _Awesome!"_

He throw one last glare at Gilbert, one that clearly said, 'this isn't over' before he focused on getting the Asian's attention. Matthew sent Kaoru a small apologetic smile before he looked down at his hands, unable to look the Prussian in the eye. "I-I'm sorry about that..."

"No. Don't, I..." Gilbert took a deep breath before scratching the back of his neck. Man was he bad at apologizing. "I should be the one apologizing...I'm sorry for...for last time."

Matthew shook his head and looked up at the paler male. "No really it's...it's okay, I guess. I mean...I've had a lot of time to think about it and...I'm sorry for what I did too..."

Gilbert offered the other a small smile. "So...Friends?"

Matthew stared at him for a while before he smiled and punched Gilbert playfully on the shoulder. "Yeah, 'friends'. But you want more, don't you?"

Gilbert smirked at the blond. Though he would never say it aloud he was a grateful for the creepy Russian for doing whatever he did to up the kid's confidence. "Well, you know, I never _did_ get to eat those pancakes..."

Matthews expression turned into a blank stare. "Don't push it."

Gilbert held up his hands defensively. "Sorry."

Loud thumping was suddenly heard and everyone looked up to see the Italian brothers standing at the front of the room. Feliciano was happily hitting the wall behind him to get everyone attention while Lovino was there being his usual grumpy self.

"Ve~Hey everyone!" Feliciano announced loud enough for everyone to hear. "Lovi just had a great idea! Tell them Lovi!"

At this the older Italian glared at his brother. "Why the hell do _I _have to tell them?" Though seeing as how everyone's attention was now on him, he turned a light pink before he complied. "I-I was just saying that we should go out before exams come..."

"Isn't it a great idea? We should all go down to Toronto tomorrow and hang out, ve~!" Feliciano was basically jumping in his excitement. "It'll be like a field trip!"

"Oh my gosh! We can totally go shopping on Queen!" Feliks exclaimed before flipping open his pink cell phone. "Just let me text my BF so he can come too. It'll be, like, totally awesome!"

Yao sighed through his nose before a small smile appeared on his lips. "Ayieh, sounds like a bit too much fun for a old man like me."

"Aren't you only twenty?" Bella asked with a frown. "You're too young to think like that!"

"So are you going, aru?"

"Wish I could," the female answered with a sigh. "But as a teacher that helps write those stupid exams, I'm afraid I find myself too busy."

"Kaoru and I can come!" Michelle said, waving her arm in the air excitedly. "You'll come with me if I go, right Kaoru?"

Kaoru nodded, his face void of emotion.

While everyone was chatting to see if they would be able to make time out of their busy lives to go to the nearby capital, Feliciano made his way over to the twins.

"Ve~ I hope you can come, _Alfredo, Matto!_" He said to the two with a large smile. Matthew returned it with a small smile of his own.

"Sure, it does sound like fun." It might be nice to go around with a large group of people for once. Usually when he went out it was only with one or two other people. Plus he wanted to postpone that stupid literary project as much as he could. "Are you going to go, Al?"

Alfred shrugged with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, but I have to pass on this one. I, uh...already got plans."

Matthew arched an eyebrow at this. Plans? Well that was the first he heard about that. Though before he could ask Feliciano spoke.

"That's too bad," Then, glancing over at Gilbert, he leaned in closer to the Canadian with a troubled look on his face. "If you don't want Gilbert to come I can—"

"Oh, oh no!" Matthew quickly interrupted. "No! I mean, thank you but, everything's fine. We, um, we're fine now."

Feliciano smile quickly returned full force and the sudden yellow that surrounded him suddenly snapped into Matthew' vision. Though for once, he didn't mind it. The Italian turned to the inattentive Prussian and hugged him from behind. "Yay Gil! You did it!"

Though Gilbert didn't know what he was talking about, he still smiled his infamous smile and smoothly replied, "Well, yeah! The awesome me can do anything!"

"So are you going, Gil?"

At this the albino made a disapproving noise. "Hm, wish I could, Fel-cakes. But I can't tomorrow, for you see," His smile returned before he sang, "I got a job~~!"

"Oh! Congrats!" Matthew said with a small smile.

"Good for you, Gil-chan!" Feliciano congratulated as he tightened the hug earning a small noise from the Prussian. "I didn't even think it was possible to get a job in this recession! You really are amazing, ve~! What is it?"

After getting the overexcited Italian to stop chocking him, Gilbert answered, "I can't tell you yet. Have to make sure I like it before I commit. Have to make sure they're okay with these." He wiggled his leather clad fingers. "Or else I'm out."

"And your first day's tomorrow?"

"Yep."

"Well, good luck! With whatever it is!" Feliciano said before he turned his attention to Matthew. "So you're coming?"

Matthew nodded. "I just have to ask my parents and make sure it's okay."

"Okay, ve~! Just call me when you know for sure, okay?"

Seeing the Canadian nod again, the Italian sat back down at the table and easily joined into the conversation of tomorrows plans.

* * *

**For those who don't speak Canadian: When Feliks says 'Shopping on Queen' he's referring to Queen street in Toronto. A lovely long street that basically has everything, srly. Including numerous fashion outlets. I'm sure if Feliks had a choice he would live on that street.**

**FINALLY. A chapter that isn't so sappy sap. Oh joy, I was really starting to hate myself! As much as I love fluff, too much makes for a sad Kitty. (I'm slightly sadistic like that ^^)  
GGaaaahh, I can't write Feliciano, now? What's wrong with me! -hits head with desk so hard it fuses-**

**Thank you **TheFirstDarkblood, Lately, XxTehSparklepirexX, Frozenbreath, Skadiyoko, XxAlysxX, Axxi, AoiTatsu, cutegixie, Glimmyfrost7, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, Ayla The Librarian, fan girl 666, 518ZombiedDreams, Chocola Emo Shizzle, fairy-hime-108, HappeDaez, italiachick13, kind-of-heart, a little black feather, cross-over-lover232, Fierce Kitten, Hikarilightz, random person with no name, Blobers **and** Meeve** for the reviews!**

**Thank you for reading and please rev**

**2**


	22. The Outing pt1

**Hey guys! Kitty29 here with a new chapter of Colours!****  
Yeah two parters! ... In case you didn't know I really like two parters, makes naming chapters easy -DING-**

**Now before you read, I have a question for everyone. I've been thinking of doing another story that's basically random things that happen in the Colours universe but have no place in the main storyline (so basically like a longer omake or something) think it's a good or bad idea? (It's probably going to mostly be about the story of Francis and Arthur before they got married and all the events from their point of view to the start of this story. It's not vital or anything, but I have a lot of ideas for it!)**

**So yeah, authors note over, enjoy this long chapter that took forever to write!**

**

* * *

**Matthew sighed before he looked out towards the entrance of the building and absentmindedly twiddled his thumbs. It was the day of the arranged outing and Matthew was the first to arrive at the Go station, where they would meet up and take the Go train together down to Toronto. He wished he didn't have to be there so early before the meeting time. If he wasn't here he would be back home trying to get Alfred to tell him about those so called 'plans' he had made that prevented him from coming downtown with him.

Though he didn't usually pray into his twin's personal life too deeply, he was being far too suspicious for him not to wonder.. Usually Alfred boasted about the people he was going out with, boasted about all the amazing and memorable things they were sure to do. Now every time he asked about what his plan was the American would either change the subject or smile and walk away. Very, very curious indeed. However, all he could do now was enjoy his outing and than pester his brother when he got back.

Glancing up at the entrance once more he smiled when he saw people he knew. He stood and stretched out his limbs before he went to greet them. "Hello, everybody."

"_Matteo! _Hi, ve~!" Happily Feliciano skipped over to the Canadian and pulled him into a short, slightly awkward on the blonds end, hug in greeting. Following were Ludwig, Lovino and Feliks, who greeted Matthew in less extravagant ways. Pulling out of the hug Feliciano looked at Matthew with worry.

"Ve~ I hope you didn't have to wait long!"

"No, it's fine, I didn't," Matthew assured with a shake of his head. "It was the only time I could get a drive here anyway, so it's okay." He looked over at the other four males. "Is this everyone?" Ludwig shook his head.

"The others will be meeting us when we get there." The German explained simply.

"More explanations on the train or whatever!" Feliks ordered before he went to stand in line. "C'mon, our train leaves in like, ten minutes and we still need to get tickets!"

Agreeing with the cross dresser, they all brought their tickets and managed to hop into the train just before the doors closed—perhaps they should have decided not to cut it so close on a Saturday afternoon but what's done is done. Finding five empty seats together and settling down, the males continued their chat.

"So how many people are we meeting?" Matthew asked.

"Too many," Lovino said with a huff. He crossed his arms and glared at the tall German that he somehow got seated next too, clearly showing that there was at least one person he rather didn't came along.. Ludwig sighed through his nose and pretended not to notice.

"Let's see ve~" The younger Italian either pretended not to the small exchange or just missed it as he made a face. He recalled the persons while counting them off on his fingers as he listed them . "Kiku, Michelle and Kaoru are being driven by Michelle's mom, and they'll met us at Union..."

"Yeah, and like, apparently Michelle managed to convince Vash to come too, but only because his sister wants to come," Feliks continued with a light laugh. "Apparently her and Michelle are, like, totally in the same class and everything."

"And Toris too! So that's..." Remembering to count everyone here as well, Feliciano gave his final answer with a large smile. "Ten people!"

"Eleven," Ludwig corrected. "You forgot yourself."

Feliciano blinked before he recounted everyone and came up with the higher number. "Oh! Oops! Thanks Ludwig!"

Matthew blinked his eyes in confusion. "Wait, Toris? Why is he coming?" From what he knew, Toris only went to the group at the warehouse, he never talked about knowing anyone from the club. Unless...

"Oh, didn't I tell you? Toris is like, my boyfriend." Feliks said with a smile. "Yeah, he's gonna met up with us later. He, like, needs to take care of his uncle that just got out of surgery or something. But then he's gonna ditch him to see me sooo..."

"You're making him ditch his sick uncle for you?" Lovino yelled quite loudly, causing a few passengers to glance over. "You _bastard!"_

Feliks puffed out his cheeks sourly at the Italian. "First of all, that's _bitc__h, _kay, thank you! Second, his brothers are gonna, like take over for him! So chill!"

Realizing that his anger was unnecessary, Lovino sunk in his chair and turned a bright red. He opened his mouth to retort but before he could a curious head poked up form behind him.

"Lovi?"

Arching his head back to face whoever had said his name he came face to face with a very familiar student with dark hair and bronzed skin. His blush deepened before he stuttered out a name. "T-Toni?"

Antonio smiled largely when the person turned out to be his boyfriend and he leaned over the chair dividing them to awkwardly hug him from behind. "Lovino! I thought that was you being loud!"

"S-Shut up! Stop touching me!"

"Antonio!" Feliciano greeted with his own large smile. "It's good to see you!"

Glancing up the Spaniard noticed the other three males. He raised a hand in greeting, giving Lovino the advantage he need to wiggle out of his grasp. "Hello everyone! What are you doing on the train?"

"We're like, totally just going to do some shopping on Queen," Feliks answered, either forgetting about everything else planned or just ignoring it. "Why are _you_ here?"

"Me?" Antonio questioned happily, pointing to himself. "I'm meeting with a few friends in Toronto and than I'm going to Wonderland!"

"Wonderland?" Feliciano exclaimed, his grin growing. "That sounds like fun!"

"Yeah, so much fun," Lovino agreed sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Though his colours clearly gave him away. His yellow-orange leapt out at the mentioned of Wonderland, and Matthew and to cover his mouth to hide his smile.

Antonio's smile widen. "Yeah! It will be! And Lovi, you can come if you want to, I'll pay for you!"

"Like I would want to hang around you and those shit heads you call friends all day!" And though he sounded opposed to coming, he still looked over at his brother as if seeking approval. Seeing the others heavily guarded pleading look, Feliciano nodded at his older brother.

"Veyou can go if you want, Lovi!" He assured and the other males murmured similar things as well. Lovino scoffed before he looked away, his ever pleasant scowl still on his face.

"Tch. If you want to get rid of me so much I'll go."

And though he was still frowning, Feliciano would tell that he was happy. As could Matthew. His colours were practically glowing. Ignoring his protests, Antonio pulled Lovino into another hug.

"Yay! _Maravilloso!_ And maybe after you can come over and we can—"

Lovino interrupted him with a random loud chocking noise and his face took on a deeper shade of red.

"Hey. Feli was, like, totally right at the beginning," Feliks rose up his hands to Ludwig with a smirk. "Ten people."

The rest of the train ride from there was rather uneventful. Well, Feliks decided to rest his legs on top of Matthew's lap and try and get his to touch his newly waxed legs. Which ended with much blushing and not so much touching.

They all exited at union station, Antonio and Lovino heading their separate ways nearly as soon as they left the train. There they met up with Michelle, Kaoru and Kiku and, after a quick trip on the subway to Queen street they went on their merry way.

"So where to first?" Matthew asked as they seemed to aimlessly wonder through the streets.

"Shopping, like, duh," Feliks answered, gliding through the streets like he lived there.

"Yeah, that's where we're meeting with Lilly and Vash." Michelle said as she literally skipped around the incoming people. "Lilly's going shopping for her grad dress, so we're gonna help her out a bit!"

"Oh, yes, I have forgotten you were graduating this year." Kiku thought out loud. Indeed, she and Kaoru would be graduating from their grade eight class this year. Meaning that starting next year the two would be in high school and bothering them a lot more.

Michelle smiled as she recalled just how close it was until she was done with elementary school. "Yep! And I already got my dress and everything! It's so pretty! Right Kaoru?"

Kaoru nodded, his face void of emotion.

"This should be it!" She pointed out a rather quaint shop that would have been looked over if they were not looking out for it. The group all piled into the shop, which was luckily larger on the inside than it looked like on the outside, or they would have not been able to all fit inside. Finding Vash and his sister Lilly (who really looked almost exactly like him, especially with her hair being basically the same) was rather simple, since they were still at the front of the shop picking out a few dresses.

"Hi, Lilly! Vash!" Feliciano greeted in his usual cheerful way, though he decided against hugging them. If he wanted to stay on the Swiss's good side he knew he had to stay away from his younger sister.

At the sound of their names the two turned and seemed a bit surprised by the number of people that had come. Apparently Michelle didn't tell them just how much 'help' they were going to get. After they all greeted each other and anyone who didn't knew each other were properly introduced, they began on there quest to find the perfect graduation dress for the young girl. Which was, actually harder than it sounded, as the girl was so small that they had to go rather far to find dresses that would actually fit her.

It was a rather strange sight to see, the group of nine teens, most consisting of males, running up and down Queen street and hitting nearly every dress, accessory and shoe places they passed—which, in all honesty, was every other store. All so that they would try and find the perfect outfit for the day young Lilly would be able to say she was done with elementally school.

Truthfully Matthew was surprised to find he was having more fun than he thought he would have. Clothes shopping was not exactly his idea of fun, especially while most of his memories of the events consisted of him standing there while Francis picked out clothes for him and made him dress up like he was his personal doll. However, while doing it with friends it seemed to transform into something more...for lack of better words..._awesome. _He couldn't believe that this is what he was missing out on my keeping himself so locked up all the time. Missed out on all the great times and friends he could have had if he didn't have to worry about his stupid...ability all the damn time.

The shopping took hours, which was expected, really, though it only dragged out when Feliks would randomly wonder off into random stores and they had to back track to find him—usually finding him with a large smile and fishing money out of his purse. It started to happen so frequently that instead of them all going like they did at the beginning one person would volunteer to fetch him while the others continued on. This time, Matthew was the one that went to go find the Polish student, and found him in a rather girly store, looking though the for sale section and occasionally holding up and item of clothing to himself and looking in the mirror behind him.

"If you wanted to stop somewhere we can all come with you," Matthew said as he walked up to the other blond. Instead of giving a proper reply back Feliks held up the shirt he was currently holding up to the Canadian.

"This would really look good on you," He said, seeming to ignore the fact that the shirt was both rather feminine and rather slutty, even for a male. "You know, you would, like look good in drag. You totally have the legs to pull it off."

Matthew's cheeks took on a pinkish tinge as he wondered just what legs had to do with cross dressing. Though he quickly derailed that train of thought. "We should head back, I think the others are—"

"So I like, heard that you and Gil made up or something?" Feliks interrupted as he continued to leaf though the items for sale.

"Eh? Oh, um, yeah I guess we did." Matthew answered with a shrug.

"About time. So, like, whens the first date?"

Matthew pink cheeks went red. "E-Eh? N-No! We're just friends!"

Feliks made a disbelieving noise. "As if! I don't know why you were mad at him in the first place, but I totally see the way you look at each other. Plus once Gil sees something he wants he like, goes and takes it. I like, totally know what he's about."

Though Matthew wanted to further deny he and Gilbert's relationship what the Pole said had him curious. "What did you mean?"

"Didn't Gily tell you? We like, totally used to date or something?" Feliks said as he picked out a shirt to look at. "Yeah, it was, like, on and off for three months or whatever. You know, before Toris finally maned up and asked me out. He's so cute sometimes..."

There was a short silence before Feliks decided to turn around to judge the others reaction. Matthew was looking elsewhere, but even so the Polish male was able to see his expression.

"Oh my god he didn't tell you did he?" His eyes widened. "Oh my god you're upset that he didn't tell you!" He gasped. "Oh my god that means you care about who he used to date!" He dropped the shirt in his excitement. "_Oh my god you _like_ him_!"

"W-_What_?" Was all the Canadian in stutter out in his confusion. Just how the hell could he come to all those conclusions when he didn't even say anything? "No I-I—"

Though Feliks would have nothing of it. He reached over and flicked the young boy's forehead, stopping him mid denial. "Like, man up, Mattie! Just admit you like another guy already! Everyone, like, totally already knows!"

Matthew opened his mouth to continue to deny him but found the words stuck in his throat. A voice in the back of his head said that the cross dresser was right, that he had been having certain..._feeling_ for the Prussian ever since he was first kidnapped by him. With a defeated sigh Matthew finally admitted, "I don't know what to do."

Feliks released a rather girly squeal before he excitedly hugged the flustered male. "Don't you worry! He's like, already totally into you anyways! Oh my god! I should totally make you over and then we ca—"

"T-that's okay! I don't need a make over!" Matthew insisted as he pulled the overly excited male off him. "I-I want to do this myself...Just, please don't tell anyone."

At this Feliks became tight lipped and he looked around the room to avoid the Canadian's eyes.

"Please!"

"_Fine!"_ Feliks finally gave in with a pout. "But you have to like, promise to give me all the inside info when you two like, finally hook up."

Matthew, feeling as if he didn't really have another choice nodded. "M-Maybe we should get back now..."

"Okay, just let me, like buy this." Feliks picked up the shirt that he had previous dropped in his excitement. "Isn't it, like, totally cute?"

Matthew just nodded, as he wasn't really one for fashion, and Feliks quickly bought the shirt before they went to rejoin the rest of the group.

The rest of the dress finding wasn't really eventful, though when they finished not only did they manage to find a very pretty wardrobe for Lilly, but even managed to stay on Vash's good side—though that may have mostly been because his sister was there and he didn't want to grow angry around her. So just as the sky was beginning to take on a orange tinge, the party waved goodbye to the blond siblings, the younger of the two thanking them profusely for their help before she was dragged away.

"Well that was _fun!"_ Feliks exclaimed, randomly deciding to twirl and nearly hitting a passerby in the face. Ludwig just sighed, deciding not to comment as he adjusted the numerous bags the Polish man had somehow convinced him to carry.

"Yeah! It really was fun!" Michelle agreed with a large smile. "Too bad we have to go now."

"Go?" Matthew questioned. "I thought we were all going to see a movie after this..."

"I know! And I'm sorry, but now is the only time my mom can come and pick us up!" The tween turned to Kiku. "Unless...can you get a hold of Yao and maybe he can come?"

The Japanese male shook his head in a negative. "Sorry, Chelles-chan. Yao-san's very busy at the moment and I do not wish to trouble him."

Michelle shrugged. "Oh well, guess we'll just have to go now. Bye everyone! See you at the next meeting! C'mon, Kaoru!"

Kaoru nodded, his face void of emotion as he bowed to the other people before he followed Kiku and Michelle away. The other four males watched them go, waving until they were a ways down the street then they turned and went their own way.

"Ve~ now only four of us are left." Though it meant it as a simple statement, Feliciano still sounded a bit sad by the lack of people. Ludwig patted the others shoulder in a comforting motion, as if to say, 'I'm still here' and Feliciano, being the rather touchy person that he was, saw that as an okay to cling onto the German's arm. Ludwig blushed, but made no move to push him off.

"Aww, don't, like, worry, Feli," Feliks began, too busy texting someone to notice the small scene beside him. "Toris is _suppose _to, like, come or something. But he was like, suppose to met us back at that sushi place two hours ago!" His painted nail clicked the 'send' button with a bit more force than needed. "Where is he?"

"Sorry about being so late."

The sudden voice caused everyone but Feliks to jump, Feliciano clutching harder onto Ludwig in his small fright. The cross dresser turned to face the new voice and pouted angrily at it's owner.

"_Toris!_ What, like, took you so long?"

Toris opened his mouth to answer, but his boyfriend beat him too it. "You know what? Whatever. You were probably helping some old lady so something."

The Lithuanian couldn't help the sheepish look that came to his face as he again apologized before he looked over at the other three males. "Hello, everyone! I'm sorry I'm late."

Detaching himself from Ludwig Feliciano pulled the other into a greeting hug like he did with everyone else. " It's okay, ve~! Now you can came and see a movie with us!"

Toris smiled. "Sounds like fun! I hadn't been to the theatres in a while."

"At least not where you actually watched the movie~" Feliks added with a smirk and the brown haired male blushed.

Matthew, deciding that he should quickly change the subject, asked "So um, what movie should we—Ogf!"

Matthew's focus quickly changed to keeping himself upright as he bumped off of whoever person he walked into when they had both tried to round the corner at the same time. "I-I'm sorry!" The blond stuttered out when before he looked at the other.

"Hey! Watch where you're—" Though the next word caught is his throat as he looked up at the Canadian with wide eyes. "_Mattie?_"

Matthew blinked at the nickname before he looked up at the person. His eyes also widened in surprise. "_Al?"_

Indeed it was Alfred in all his baggy t-shirt wearing gory. Though the fact that the American was there wasn't what surprised Matthew the most. No, what surprised the blond the most was the person his twin was with or, rather, was hand in hand with. There, standing right next to him, looking slightly confused at why they had stopped walking, was the Korean exchange student, Yong Soo. The guy who the last time Matthew had seen him, he was getting yelled at by Alfred.

Matthew was glad when he saw he wasn't the only one that was surprised at seeing the two on a date. Looking around, it looked like everyone was stunned into silence—Toris in confusion seeing as he didn't know the American. The only one that wasn't too shocked to do anything was...

"Like, Oh Mm Ge, Kellie! You're _never_ guess who I just ran into on a date _holding hands!_ Alfred and Yong Soo! ... _I KNOW!_ That's what I totally thought too!"

Hearing the cross dresser gossip must have snapped Alfred out of whatever momentary trance he was in. "I-It's not what it looked like!" He insisted and, to the Korean's obvious displeasure, tugged his hand back. "I-I mean—!" Coughing into his fist, he put on a very bad British accent. "I'm not this Alfred chap you're thinking of! I'm sorry to say you have the wrong lad."

"Alfred! The only thing you did to disguise yourself was wear contacts and put on a base ball cap!" Matthew exclaimed. "Which is mine, by the way! I was looking for that!"

"You put on a disguise? Was this supposed to be a secret, da~ze? Are you ashamed of me?" Yong Soo asked the American, who suddenly looked like he was trapped between a rock and a hard place.

"_N-No!"_ Alfred quickly replied, then added after glancing at his schoolmates. "I mean, why would I be shamed of helping a fellow school mate that got lost! I _am _the Hero after all!" He then laughed heroically, or at least he tried, but it his state it came out more nervous than confident.

"Ve~! So that's why you couldn't come out with us! It's because you were on a date!" Feliciano said happily, seeming to miss the hurt look on the Korean's face.

Alfred made to say something but before he could Yong Soo latched onto his arm and proclaimed, quite loudly, "Yes! We, as in Alfred F. Bonnefoy-Kirkland and me, Im Yong Soo, are currently on a date! And Alfred asked _me_ out, da~ze!"

Feliks squealed in delight, still on his phone. "Oh my god, did you hear that?...I know! I _totally _called it!"

Though Matthew was a bit annoyed that his twin wouldn't tell him that he couldn't hang out because he had a date, he wouldn't help but smile at his plight. It wasn't every often that he managed to see Alfred so flustered, and, now that he thought about it, Alfred seemed to be increasing so every time the Korean was mentioned. Maybe if he wasn't so busy with his own personal affairs he would have noticed the sighs.

Finally, Ludwig, whose arms were beginning to get a bit sore from carrying all those bags, decided to speak up. "Are we going to the movies?"

And it seemed as if meeting with Alfred and Yong Soo had completely pushed their current destination out of their mind for Feliciano gasped. "Oh! Right! We were going to see a movie! Do you guys want to come, ve~?"

"Actually, we just saw a movie," Alfred said, gently trying to loosen the Koreans vice like grip on his arm. "Saw 3D, it was _awesome_."

"There was blood everywhere, da~ze!" Yong Soo happily reported. "But not as scary as the films back in Korea! Horror movies did originate in South Korea, you know."

"Well, okay, we'll see you later." Feliciano said.

"Yeah, right." Then, turning to Matthew but not looking in his eye Alfred muttered. "I'll, uh, see you at home Mattie."

"Bye, Alfred." Matthew said back before the two groups went their separate ways. From there the five males laughed at the American's plight and talked about the usually pairing of he and Yong Soo until they hit the theatre. There they all decided to watch _Due Date—_which Feliks had to convince them all to sneak into, as it was rated R, but in the end they all agreed it was worth it. After the movie was done it was starting to get a bit late, and the teens decided to have a unhealthy dinner of over priced movie theatre food. Matthew however, not really feeling that hungry, decided that this was a good time to watch peoples colours and try to get a handle on what meant what.

"Dark lime green... what could that mean?" He wondered aloud as he tapped his pencil to a scrap piece of paper he stuck into his wallet at the last minute.

Toris looked over at the women the Canadian was looking at, who was chewing her bottom lip as she glanced about the theatre. "Well, she does look a bit ill. Maybe she feels sick?"

"Or, like, sick with herself," Feliks chirped in. "Like she cheated on her boyfriend or something."

Almost as soon as he said that a man, who Matthew assumed to be her boyfriend, came up to the women and greeted her with a small kiss and to the Canadian's surprise the colour intensified. "I think you're right..." Matthew mumbled as he noted down 'guilty'.

As Feliks high fived Toris Feliciano looked around for another person. "What about that scary looking man over there? What colour is he?" He asked. Matthew looked over to the man the Italian pointed out and shivered. He wasn't sure why but there was something about the man's expression that was very intimating. But for some reason, there was something kind of soothing about the man. Almost like a...familiar air about him. Curious, Matthew concentrated on him, and his colours soon came into view.

"Sea-green...he's anxious about something...and a forced light blue...he's trying to calm himself...?"

Feliciano looked over at the man again and titled his head. "Really? It doesn't look like it..."

"...Matthew are you okay?"

Matthew looked up at the gruff German's voice. "Oh, yes, sorry I'm fine...There's just something about that man that's kind of familiar for some reason..."

Now everyone looked over at the blond, glasses wearing, rather intimating looking man, all trying to see if they know him in some way.

"Maybe he's, like, a model or something?" Feliks offered and truthfully, once one got over his scary expression, the man was rather good looking. Looking over at him for a few more moments the teens decided to give it up.

"I'll be right back," Matthew announced as he stood. "I'm just going to the washroom."

"I'll come with you." Toris offered and together the two went on to the washrooms, Feliks randomly trailing behind them.

"Aw, you two are total girls, going to the bathroom in pairs~" Feliks said with a smirk as he followed.

"I must have learned it from you." Toris said with a small chuckle and Feliks pretended to be offended as he pushed him playfully.

Matthew chose to ignore the couple as they were lost in their own world and instead just do what he originally intended to do, empty his bladder—though he decided to do it in the stall feeling a bit awkward going in front of Feliks. He knew he was a male but really...he did make a pretty convincing girl. Going to wash his hands he found Feliks fixing his hair in front of the mirror in the rather empty washroom.

"I like, totally can't wait for you and Gil to get together," Feliks said when he noticed the image of the young Canadian enter the mirror. "Like, if you guys were fictional characters there would totally be like, communities and fanfiction of you guys everywhere."

Matthew raised an eyebrow at the very strange analogy but didn't say anything about it. It didn't seem as if the Polish man was done talking anyway.

"Don't see why you wouldn't let me give you a make over, like yeah I get that you don't want to dress up or whatever but that doesn't mean you can't have a make over. I'll make you cute, well, cuter I guess. Cause you know that's what Gil likes, he likes cut—" He interrupted himself with a sharp gasp and went silent. Matthew, curious as to what would make the other stop talking so suddenly looked over at him.

"Feliks...?" Matthew asked with concern when he saw him hunched over the sink as if he was about to vomit. After a few more moments of silence he reached out to touch him. Though just as his hand was going to contact with the others skin a hand grabbed onto his wrist and pulled him back.

"Don't touch him," Toris said, his tone rather serious. "He's having a vision."

Matthew looked between the two of them in confusion. "Vision? Wha—"

He immediately stopped talking when Feliks began to speak again, but it was so quiet that it was impossible to make out what was being said. Pulling the Canadian back Toris stepped forward and placed a hand on his boyfriends shoulder. Spinning around Feliks grabbed onto the others shoulders and fell into him, forcing Toris to readjust his grip so that he could kept him upright. His eyes rapidly flickered back and forth as if he was looking at something they couldn't see. Then he opened his mouth and spoke, and though it was still his voice, it sounded like it was someone else speaking through him.

"Beware...beware the one that watches him progress...his intentions are not what they should be..."

"Who?" Toris asked.

Feliks eyes stopped flickering and he stared at nothing. Suddenly his gaze turned to stare directly at the young Canadian and Matthew swore his heart stopped. It felt as though Feliks' wide blood shot eyes stared past his exterior and looked down at something deeper inside. Staring at it, surveying it. Though it only lasted for a second it felt like it lasted for hours. And then Feliks whole body slumped in a dead faint. Toris, acting as if this has happened to him more than once, grabbed onto the teen and leaned him against the counter the sinks was on so that he could manage his weight.

"I need to take him somewhere to rest..." Toris said mostly to himself but Matthew was barley listening. The only thing that was on his mind right now were those eyes. That stare...that stare was definably not something the Polish male could ever pull off. Was that because of his ability?

"Matthew, can you go get Ludwig?" Toris asked, snapping the young teen from his thoughts. With a dumb nod Matthew went to do as he was told. Minutes later he returned with both Ludwig and Feliciano, who insisted on coming.

"Ludwig can you help me with him?" Toris asked as soon as he saw the larger man enter the room. Ludwig instantly went to help him and Feliciano gasped when he noticed the unconscious male.

"Oh no! He had a vision? Here?"

Matthew, suddenly feeling as though he was the only one who didn't know what was going on—which was probably true—he turned to the Italian with the intent of getting answers. "B-But I thought Feliks' ability was to see the future in still images?"

Feliciano nodded, not taking his eyes off Feliks. "It is, but sometimes a whole bunch of images come to him at once and it overwhelms him." He explained.

"I'm going to take him back to my uncles house," Toris said to everyone once Ludwig helped get Feliks on his back. "It's close by and he needs rest."

"Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself?" Ludwig asked with a hint of worry. Toris nodded and smiled at the other.

"I'll be fine, I'm really stronger than I look," Toris replied before he nodded to everyone. "Goodbye everyone, hope to see you again soon." And with that the Lithuanian exited the washroom and went out of sight.

There was silence for a bit before the teens felt that standing in the middle of the washroom looked rather strange and so they made their way back to the table they were previous seated at. Matthew, however, was lost in his own world. What did Feliks mean when he said he said 'beware of the one that watches him progress?' And was it really meant to be a warning for him? Or when Feliks looked over at him did he mean that he was the one that someone should be wary of?

"Matthew?"

The sound of the Germans voice again brought him from his thoughts. "I-I'm sorry. What?"

Ludwig raised an eyebrow at the other but didn't question it. "I said we should get going. It's starting to get late."

"O-oh, okay..."

Gathering up whatever was left behind, the three teens walked out of the movie theatre and into the dark streets.

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**I loovveee Toronto. Though I haven't been there in a while and um, hadn't see a movie down there. One day ONE DAY.**

**Thank you **PrussianAwesomeness, XxAlysxX, Meeve, Kie-chu, XxTehSparklepirexX, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, Ayla The Librarian, fan girl 666, Glimmyfrost7, Chocola Emo Shizzle, Axxi, Sakima Hebi, Her Diary, in-raiinbows, fairy-hime-108, aile-chan, WhenTheMugiwarasCry-ICryAlso, Happedaez, niyoniyo, Fierce Kitten **and **shimaki33 **for**** the reviews!**

**Yay! I am so happy to have this chapter over with, 'cause you know the next chapters gonna be**

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	23. The Outing pt2

**Special thanks to **MeanGreenAubergine **for the 400****th**** review. 500 reviews is the next goal, I'm totally going for it! WOO!**

**SUPER AWESOME thank you **bombayxprodigy **for the epic Beta! If you're not too busy with school crap your services may be asked for again!**

**Thank you **xxassassinxx18, Her Diary, crackberries, Chocola Emo Shizzle, Ayla The Librarian, CaCoPhOnY Of ScReAmS, DeathDeparture, ninjafox369, ColorfulHeart, Cruz-Hime, HappeDaez, Ember, TheFirstDarkblood, Lately,XxAlysxX, AoiTatsu, XxTehSparklepirexX, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, fan girl 666, Meeve **and **o-Vii-o **for the reviews.**

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Though none of the three teens would admit it aloud, they all knew they were lost. Truthfully they were all kind of depending on Feliks to guide them back home, as he shopped in Toronto so much he basically knew it like the back of his hand. Matthew, Ludwig and Feliciano, however, could all count the number of times they've been to the city on one hand.

Even so, they were all still a bit embarrassed to find themselves lost, especially when all they had to do was find a path to the subway. After they hit the subway, the way back to the train, then home was rather straight forward. Unfortunately about an hour of walking later, they hadn't been able to locate a way to the subway. This was probably due to the fact that they were all a bit directionally challenged.

This would also probably explain how they managed to find themselves wondering around a street that resembled a back alley more than a street.

"Maybe we should turn back..." Matthew finally said after a few minutes of tense silence. Unlike the other streets, this was the first one where they couldn't see anyone else walking as well. The random flickering street light just in front of them didn't help with the creepiness either.

As if the slowly emerging stars above weren't enough, Ludwig looked at the time on his phone to see just how late is was. "Yeah...we should head back and ask someone where we can find the subway..."

A loud noise caused the three of them to jump and look around to find the source of the noise. Nothing.

With the want to get off the street rapidly increasing, Feliciano pointed to an alleyway that was just a bit ahead of them.

"I-I think we can get back faster if we go through here!" He said and the males quickly entered the area.

The alleyway was almost too spacious to be called an alleyway. It was large enough to allow two cars to pass each other, though they would probably have scratch marks at the end of it. The only light source—other than the flickering lamppost from the street they just escaped—was from a third story window to the right that still had its lights on. Though judging from the lack of shadows, no one appeared to be inside.

Everyone wordlessly sped up their pace, wanting to get out of the sketchy place as soon as they could. They were nearly clear of the alley way when suddenly Matthew was hit with familiarity so hard he actually gasped and stopped walking. Looking around wildly, his eyes rested on the fire escape that was attached to a seemingly abandoned apartment building. What the heck... what was it about this fire escape that drew him to it? He walked until he was right under the ladder he needed to extend so that he could climb up the escape.

"Matteo?"

Ignoring the call of his name, Matthew jumped up and grabbed onto the ladder. With the help of gravity on his side, the ladder extended until it stopped just above the ground.

"Matthew!"

He looked up to see Ludwig and Feliciano just behind the ladder, giving him confused looks.

"What are you doing?" Ludwig asked.

"I...I don't know." Matthew answered honestly and, though he had no intention of climbing it, placed a hand on the ladder. "This...this is broken."

Even more confused, Ludwig gave the ladder a careful look over. "It looks fine to me."

Even Matthew was confused by how he knew this, but either way he voiced his thoughts. "If you try climbing it the extension will break off." Stepping to the side he gestured for the others to step back, which they did, and he tugged harshly on the ladder. Sure enough, the extension broke off and fell to the ground, creating a dull echo in the large space.

"...Matteo?"

Matthew looked at the Italian to show he was listening.

"How did you know that? Did you live here?"

Looking up at the building again, Matthew couldn't help but shake the familiar feeling in the pit of his stomach, but his mind drew a blank. "I..."

The loud noise from before was heard once more, though this time closer. Instantly the teens were able to identify just what the noise was.

A gunshot.

The trio was frozen in place as screeching tires accompanied more shots. The sounds echoed against the brick walls around them and, to their horror, grew louder as they grew closer. And closer. And closer. And clos—

"_GET DOWN_!"

Matthew's glasses flew off his nose as he fell to the ground, pain shooting up his arm as it hit the fallen ladder. He squeezed his eyes shut but the pain was immediately forgotten when the gunshots reached a crescendo, sounding as if they were right on top of him. He remained down as the cars roared by and thanked whatever god was out there as the noise grew silent and the cars drove away. Matthew lay there breathing heavily, adrenaline coursing through his body, his heart thumping so hard he thought it would jump out of his chest.

"I-Is everyone okay?" Matthew found himself calling, even before he worked up the courage to open his eyes. For a moment the only thing that responded was silence, and immediately his mind imagined the worst.

"..._Sì_..."

Matthew eyes shot open meeting darkened blurs. A spark of what promised to be the start of a headache being felt in his mind, Matthew blindly reached for his glasses. When his hand contacted with the familiar object, he promptly placed them back on his face, welcoming the sudden clarity.

"...Ludwig?"

Matthew froze.

No.

_No._

This couldn't be...This wasn't...

Matthew's body moved by its self as he pushed himself up. It felt like he was outside of himself, watching as he turned around to lay eyes on the other two teens. Find Feliciano knelled in front of Ludwig, tears silently falling from his cheeks. Find Ludwig leaning against the building, clutching onto his side, blood flowing through his fingers.

He had been shot.

The realization hit Matthew so hard that he found himself unable to move. Unable to think, unable to blink. The only thing he could do was stare as the German desperately tried to keep the crimson liquid inside of him, his face screwed up in pain.

"LUDWIG!"

The shout caused Matthew to stumble forward, as if it had broken him from some kind of trance. Reaching forward, Feliciano grabbed onto Ludwig's legs, his eyes wide in fear.

"No! _NO! _You can't do this! I-I, I can't! I can't be without you! _I won't live_ without you!"

"...Ambulance..." Ludwig croaked out, his voice dry and rough. "Call for...help..."

Still feeling as if his body didn't belong to him, Matthew pulled out his cellphone and quickly dialled nine one one. As the phone rang he tried not to listen to Ludwig as he continued to talk, but he couldn't help but hear it.

"Feli...I don't want to di—."

"Don't say that!" Feliciano interrupted, more tears streaming down his face as his grip tightened. "_Don't. Say. That! _You're _not_ going to die! _I won't let you_!"

"_Nine one one emergency what is the nature of your call?"_

It took a a few tries before Matthew could string together a sentence. "M-M-My friend has been shot! Pl-Please! I need an ambulance!"

"_Please calm down sir. What street are you on?"_

Matthew immediately gave out the street, far too shocked to wonder how he knew the street name in the first place. As soon as he gave out the information the phone fell from his shaking hands and crashed on the ground, the battery popping out and effectively ending the call. He cussed quite loudly before he knelled down to pick up the two pieces. It took him a while to put it back together, with his hands fumbling the way they were. Matthew flipped it over to to redial the number, only to curse again when he found the screen cracked in two. The thought that the phone would still work even with the screen gone didn't even cross his mind before he gave up on redialling nine one one.

"Matteo!" His head snapped up to Feliciano at his name. "Wha...What should we do?"

Matthew's mind suddenly found himself back at the CPR course he was forced to take back in grade nine, much to his annoyance. How the hell was _that_ going to help? Ludwig wasn't drowning he was fucking...he was _shot!_

"I...um, lay him down!" Matthew found himself saying instead.

Feliciano nodded, and he looked back at Ludwig. "W-We're going to lay you down, okay?"

"..."

"_Ludwig!"_

Ludwig's eyes fluttered open, his eyes glazed with pain as he tried to focus on the Italian. He didn't look good, not at all. His face had taken on a greenish tinge and his skin was losing its colour. "I...feel..." Was all he chocked out before his head fell back hitting the brick wall behind him.

"Ludwig?" Not getting an answer, Feliciano grabbed onto the blond's shoulders and shook him. "_LUDWIG!_"

"_Stop!_" Matthew yelled, grabbing the Italian's wrist. He wanted to grab both of them, but for some reason his left hand seemed unwilling of leaving go of the useless cellphone. "It's the blood! He's, he's bleeding too much! W-We need to s-stop the bleeding!"

Feliciano looked at the Canadian, the fear so evident in his eyes that Matthew didn't have to use his ability to know he was afraid. Hell he was too, he honestly didn't even know how he was still conscious.

"...I don't want him to die." Feliciano hiccoughed, and Matthew could feel him shaking. "I don't know what I'd do without him. I can't...I can't...Lovino...can..."

"We need to lay him down." Matthew interrupted, amazed at how he could keep his voice so steady. It was filled with uncertainty and fear, but it was steady. "It should make him bleed less."

Feliciano nodded, the tears still falling down his cheeks as he did what he was told. Together they moved the German so that he was laying down on his back.

"A-And cover the wound." Matthew further commanded, holding onto his broken cellphone as if his own life depended on it. Feliciano removed Ludwig's hands from the wound before he placed his own on top of it, desperately trying to stop the flow of blood as he continued to sob.

"I'm sorry, Ludwig...I'm _so sorry._ I'm not Lovino, I can't heal you. I can't...he can...If only he was...if only I was..."

A pained gasp filled the night air and Feliciano abruptly stared up at the stars above him, his eyes wide. He opened his mouth as if to scream, but no sound came out.

"Feliciano?" Matthew cried, the horror in his chest only increasing as he watched Feliciano's body jerk and convulse, though never did his hands leave Ludwig. What the hell was going on? What was Feliciano doing? He...he wasn't having some kind of seizure was he? He couldn't do that, not now! Matthew needed him! He couldn't do this on his own!

Wait...wait what was...Feliciano...he's bleeding! But how...why? But then Matthew realized something that nearly made his heart give out. Feliciano was starting to bleed in the exact same place as Ludwig's wound. As more blood poured out him, less blood was coming out of Ludwig's body.

He was...he was taking away Ludwig's wound...and putting it onto himself.

This...no...he had to stop this! If this continued, Feliciano would be the one that could...that would...

It wasn't until Matthew felt his hand wrap around the Italian's bare skin did he realize his mistake.

Immediately Feliciano fainted right on top of him and, extremely panicked, Matthew pushed him off and stood, stumbling away from the two injured figures. No...he_ registered _him! No! He, he didn't mean to do that! He didn't mean to do...he didn't want to be alone. He...He couldn't do this alone!

"Please!" He yelled, even though he knew it was useless. There was no one around, no one to hear his plea. Surly if they were they would have come by now...right? A sob escaped him and he clutched the cellphone harder as tears finally ran down his face. "Help me...I can't do this by myself..."

"M've."

A flash of yellow. Red and blue. Shouting. Blurs of colour. White. A voice.

"Ev'rything's g'in' ta be 'kay."

Black.


	24. Reactions

**Hey guys! Kitty29 with the new chapter of Colours!**  
**Dammit, I told myself I would update To Follow the Music before this one... oh well.**

**OMG I had so much to say about the last chapter but I didn't say it because I didn't want to distranct from the epicness of it or something. First of all, I'm sorry, but everytime someone thought the countdown meant the end of the story I laughed. TOO MUCH TO DO BEFORE THE END EVERYONE. You're stuck with this story for a while. **  
**Anyways, I had that I had that part pretty much planned since I started writing this story, so getting to actually write it after 22 chapter was so. Frinkin'. FULFILLING. Dear god writing that chapter made me love myself. **

**Right, one more thing before you read on, the alleyway the shooting took place in was not the same one from the incident. The incident took place in America, this one takes place in Canada. Matthew just has horrible luck with alleyways, lol.**  
**The character of Malaysia or Raiman belongs to **ArisaLyeanna** not me.**

**Enjoy! =D  


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**"Ahh...Finally another day of hard work complete," Francis said happily to himself as he washed up. Tonight was a relevantly long night at the restaurant. Even though the last reservation was done about an hour ago, more and more people seemed to just pour in out of no where and would order enough food to feed a small family for just themselves.

"Yes, another day of you being amazing!"

Colette Bunton was apparently Francis biggest fan, which was both surprising and just a bit disturbing. Truthfully back when Francis was in France he was a bit of a of celebrity, or rather, he had his fifteen minutes of fame. He used to be a frequent guest on a popular cooking show that has long since stopped running. That was however, a show that only aired in France, and was over ten years ago. So imagine his surprise when the young Canadian born girl come up to him and begged him to make her his apprentice.

"I still can't believe I am working with _the _Francis Bonnefoy!" Colette exclaimed happily. "And that I was accepted as his apprentice! Oh, everyday working with you is a great one!"

Francis sighed as he dried his now clean hands. "How many times do I have to tell you, Colette? Just because you work under me does not make you my apprentice." He began to walk away, removing his apron as he went. Colette followed, a large grin still on her face.

"But you give me advice and help all the time!"

"That is called being a good friend." He hang up the apron and went to change into his street clothes, but to his annoyance the red head blocked his path.

"Oh, please! I would do _anything_ to formally become your apprentice!"

A malicious glint flashed across the Frenchman's eyes. "Oh?" He purred before he leaned in closer to the female. She wasn't pretty, but she wasn't ugly either. In fact she was rather average looking however, there was something about her almost unnaturally brilliant red hair that seemed to draw males to her.

With their noses nearly touching, Francis continued, "Just _how_ _far _are you willing to go, hmm?" He said this in his flirty, sultrily voice, the one that usually left girls swooning at his feet.

"I would punch a lion in the face to become your apprentice!" Colette answered in all seriousness, determination burning in her eyes. Francis paused before he chuckled and straightened up. Colette, confused by his laughter, asked what was so funny.

"Nothing, it's nothing, cheri." Francis said before he walked past the girl. "I just thought that one was rather obvious is all."

Colette had attracted many males over the years, but her complete and utter oblivious nature when it came to flirting definitely drove them away. No matter how hard Francis tried, useless he actually told her he was playfully flirting, she didn't get it. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he answered it as Colette continued to talk.

"I promise you wouldn't regret it, Mr. Bonnefoy! I will be the best apprentice _ever!_ I'll wash your car and bring you coffee and—" She abruptly stopped when she noticed the phone the Frenchman was holding slip from his hand and fall to the ground. Though he didn't even look like he noticed for he reminded perfectly still, his body ridged. Concerned, Colette walked up to him and lay a hand on his back. "Mr. Bonnefoy? Francis? Are you alright?"

The girl leaned forward so that she could see the others expression. He stared at nothing in front of him, his eyes wide and filled with horror. He muttered out a name.

"Matheiu."

/ / / \ \ \

Arthur sighed as he drummed his fingers idly on the table he was currently seated at. Though he now believed that abilities were real and he did indeed have one, he still decided to continue his research. He thought that maybe it could somehow benefit him and Matthew in the long run. His pursuit of information led him to this small cafe, where he was to meet with a person who claimed to be able to see peoples personalties through flowers, whatever that meant. But as it was now that person was nearly half an hour late. The Brit was just thinking of leaving when a black notebook thumped down in front of him.

"I'm sorry I'm late."

Arthur looked up at the voice and his eyes widened when he recognized the teen immediately. "Raiman?" This was one of Matthew's school friends, the one who came over quite frequently to help Matthew with math. Hell, _he _had an ability too? Just how many of them were there in this crazy town?

Raiman flipped the book open to a certain page before he slid it over to the older male. "Please, read this. I'll be right back." With that the Malaysian headed off to buy himself a drink. Arthur just blinked at the sudden turn of events before he pulled the notebook closer to him and read,

_Arthur Bonnefoy-Kirkland: Tudor Rose – A weird rose for a weird person. It's colour is a mix of white at the top and red at the bottom. This means he's a soft, loving and caring person. On the other hand, he is also a hot tempered and cruel person. I don't know him well enough to know if this is true, but from the way he's always yelling at his family I can assume it's right._

Arthur narrowed his eyes. Just what was this about? How dare he write such shallow things about him! He would have to have a stern talking to that boy about respecting his elders when he got back.

_Rose can also symbolize peace and loving. Well, he is alright. Though there seems to be something off with his flower. A growing trend I've noticed between certain people. Is he also 'special'? That can't be right, Matt has said Gilbert was the first person he knew with abilities. This must be a red herring..._

_The more I see him the more I notice this...queerness with his flower. I want to deny it, I think he's like me. Should I tell Matt? We are friends but I don't want to interfere with his personal life more than I have to. Maybe if I just hint at it he'll figure it out. But is even that going to far? What if there is a reason he is hiding his ability? Is he even aware? Perhaps I should speak with him before I make plans I will regret. _

Arthur finished reading just as the Malaysian boy returned with his hot drink. He sat down across from the Brit and blew on the drink, trying to cool it down before he drank.

"Why did you want me to read this?" Arthur asked and Raiman shrugged.

"I thought it would be the fastest way to get started. I'm sorry sir, but I can't stay for long, my parents think I'm sleeping."

"Wait, you _lied to your parents?_ Raiman, you shouldn't really, what am I—"

"_Sir,_" Raiman interrupted, a bit annoyed. "I came here so that we can talk about abilities. Because of your curiosity I suppose you have one too?

Arthur paused before noting that he was right. He was here for a reason, anything else could wait. Glancing about to see if anyone was paying attention to them, he leaned forward and whispered, "Yes...Yes I do. I can...See things."

"It's very common, sir," Raiman reassured, then, as an after thought added, "For people with abilities anyway. Have you told Matt?"

Arthur was, truthfully, a bit uncomfortable having such an important talk with someone so young. Though he supposed that the kid had more experience than him when it came to..._embracing_ this...Whatever. He coughed into his fist before he spoke. "I, no. No I haven't."

"Why? You know about Matt."

Arthur raised an eyebrow at the other. "How do you know that?"

"We talk, sir." Raiman paused to take a careful sip of his drink. He flinched when he found it was still too hot, and placed it back down. "You should tell him. Maybe than you will have something to bond over." Raiman smirked, but then realized that that was rather impolite. Quickly he added, "Telling people about your ability is one of the best things you can do to control it. It's rather calming, to not have to keep a secret, and these gifts are closely tied to emotion."

It was then that Arthur phone decided to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked to see who was calling. Francis? Why was Francis calling? Wasn't he at work?

"I'm sorry, please excuse me," He said to the boy before he answered the phone. "Francis? What is...Francis calm down...You know I can't understand the language if you say it so fast!"

Intrigued by the conversation, Raiman stopped blowing on his drink to look at at the Brit.

"Say it slower...In English Francis! I can't..." Suddenly Arthur's eyes grew wide. _"What?"_

/ / / \ \ \

"Ah! Man, why do you have to be so rough?"

"Alfred! If you don't pace yourself you'll never finish!"

"I, ugh! Do things my own way Yong Soo! So you just lay there and take it!"

"Almost there!"

"No way!"

'Player one wins!'

The controller slipped from Alfred's hand and to the floor with a faint thump. After the two had run into the other students in Toronto they retreated back to Kiku's house, where Yong Soo was staying while in the country, so that the Korean would show Alfred his rather impressive video game collection. Alfred had joked that the other had barely even taken him on a date before he brought him back to his bedroom though he still went without complaint. If there was one thing Alfred couldn't resist, it was videos games and a chance to use his video game skills to pwn someone new. However, It would seem as though the American had seriously underestimated Yong Soo's gaming abilities.

"What the_ hell_?" Alfred exclaimed, staring at the television screen incredulously. "How did that even happen? I had you!"

Yong Soo smirked before he stretched. "I told you I was good."

Alfred pouted before he decided to stand and stench out his legs. The Korean had for some reason decided that the best place to place the television was on the ground, even though he had a perfectly good desk he could use if he just moved some papers. Weirdo, how the heck could he stand sitting cross legged like that for such long hours of time? Deciding that his butt needed something softer than hardwood floor, Alfred walked over to the others bed and took a seat, the pout still on his face. "Yeah, whatever, it's just good luck. If I was really trying, I would have won."

Yong Soo chose to ignore the fact that he had won nearly every game they played, but for the ones he lost on purpose when Alfred was actually beginning to look a bit upset and looked at his watch. "It's late," The Korean stated, shifting himself so that he was facing the American. Alfred shrugged.

"So?"

The dark haired male smiled. "So, you haven't left yet. You _like_ being around me, don't you?"

Alfred smiled back, shrugging. "Well, maybe. But, I_ did_ have a good time today. Surprisingly."

"'_Surprisingly?'" _ Yong Soo repeated, looking offended, he stood and started to walk towards the American. "I take you on a nice date, pay for everything and that's all you say?"

"You expect me to trust a guy that grabbed my chest the first time I met him?"

"It's not my fault you have nice breasts, da~ze!" He was now close enough to try and grab the others chest and Alfred let of a small yelp of surprise before he fought to keep his chest unglomped. This continued for a while, until Yong Soo lost his footing and fell on the bed beside Alfred. Both of them flopped down on their backs, laughing at each others stupid antics. Eventually, the laughing died down and the two were left staring at each other in comfortable silence. Yong Soo was actually glad that the other was allowing him to look at him at such a close range, or even allow him to be so close in the first place. Though he wanted to take this time to study Alfred's face, he found his eyes continue to flicker down to his lips, wondering if they tasted like the candy they shared back at the theatres. Slowly, almost hesitantly, Yong Soo began to move his head towards the other, but Alfred moved back.

"Didn't I say no good night kiss?" Alfred said with a small smirk, which Yong Soo only returned.

"But the date isn't over yet, da~ze." He replied before he moved forward again, and he had to suppress his inner squeal when he noticed Alfred move as well. They pressed their foreheads together, both of them embracing the butterflies in their stomach, opting to look at anything but each other. Finally, Yong Soo titled his head up, desperately wanting to taste Alfred's lips once mor—

"_I HOPPED OFF THE PLANE AT LAX, WITH A DREAM AND MY CARDIGAN!"_

They both jumped away from each other as Miley Cyrus' voice suddenly filled the once quiet room. Alfred leaped off the bed and quickly pulled his phone from his pocket.

"S-Sorry," Alfred said, avoiding eye contact with the Asian, who was also looking away cussing his luck. "It's my Dad..." He finished lamely before he answered the phone.

Meanwhile, Yong Soo was silently cussing Miley Cyrus and all her cock blocking ways. Dammit, he was _so close_ to having his first _real_ kiss with the American! Sure, the others were nice but they didn't mean anything, but this one!...This one was gonna be _good_.

But wait! Whose to say that the mood was gone? Alfred's dad was probably just asking how he was doing or something, but then, after he hung up the phone, he would try again. Right, now wasn't the time to fret! If there was one thing that originated in Korea, it was romance! Game plan in mind, Yong Soo turned to face Alfred with a big smirk. Though it faded when he noted the shocked look on the others face.

"I'm at Kiku's house! Quickly, come and pick me up!" Alfred all but screamed into the phone before he hung up. He rushed over to pick up his hat and place it sloppily on his head, muttering worriedly to himself as he went. He then made to exit the room, but Yong Soo caught him by the arm.

"Alfred! What's wrong?" He asked, and the blond turned to look at him, extremely distressed and hyperventilating slightly.

"It's Mattie!" Alfred exclaimed. "He's...He's in the hospital!"

/ / / \ \ \

"Oh, Fredrick, you're rather eager tonight," Dr. John said with a faint giggle as the mentioned male all but attacked her neck.

"You've been so busy with work we barely see each other," The younger man replied with a smile before he continued to gently nibble on her neck, using the hand that wasn't plopping him over the female to rub her thigh.

"What are...What are you talking about?" She said in between giggles, her legs rather sensitive. "We see each other every day." Fredrick stopped his biting to look up at the women.

"Yes, but not like this. Working across from you every day...It's like you're the tempting fruit that I'm not allowed to sink my teeth into."

"Oh, well than," The therapist said with a smirk. "Now you can more than just a taste." Grabbing Fredrick's head, she pulled him onto her bosom, giggling madly. From there on the two continued to fool about on the woman's couch, laughing and moaning as they groped and stroked each other. Some time along the way one of them had hit the controller that they had forgotten to move before they began their 'activities'. The television across from them flickered to life and begin to play some kind of news station, though both people were too busy to notice.

"...In later news, after four years on death row Makar Brendanus was finally put in the electric chair."

The doctor paused.

"Brendanus was jailed for the rape and murder of five teens as well as the attempted rape and murder of two minors. June reporting..."

At this point Dr. John had completely stopped and was focusing her attention squarely on the television. Her receptionist, rather confused at his partners inactivity, raised his head to look at her. "Eliza? What's wrong."

The doctor remained silent as she continued to watch the program. Then, pushing the male off her, Dr. John grabbed the the remote and turned up the volume. Something just wasn't adding up. Makar Brendanus...That was the name Alfred gave her, the name of the man from the incident. But this wasn't right. Alfred had said that Matthew thought he was responsible for killing this man. But..If this man had been alive for four years then how...

"How could he kill someone that's still alive?" She wondered aloud.

"...There are many ways he could have done so." Fredrick offered. "Can't this wait until later?" He leaned back over and went for the woman's neck again but to his displeasure she pushed him away.

"I'm sorry Fredrick, but not now," She said, not taking her eyes off the screen. "I need to watch this, it's for work."

Fredrick stared at her incredulously for a while before he groaned and stood from the couch, buttoning up his shirt as he went for the door. "My last girlfriend never treated me like this!"

"Your last girlfriend didn't have a job," Dr. John countered just before she heard the slamming of her door.

* * *

**I really don't like Miley Cyrus, but I can imagine Alfred having that song as the rang tone for Arthur because Arthur hates that song so much or something.  
Makar Brendanus was just a random name that I got from the name generator. I didn't even know that thing existed. I am so going to misuse it!  
If anyone wants to read more of Raiman's flower ability, you should go check out **ArisaLyeann**'s story **Flower's Personalities**. It's alll there.  
**

**Thank you **natcat5, TheFirstDarkblood, EhCanuck, knightlygirl, lilredd3394, i wrote this song for you, Meeve, Her Diary, Cruz-Hime, Chocola Emo Shizzle, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, o-Vii-o, MatthewKirklandWilliams, xxassassinxx18, Ayla The Librarian, Hispanic Tenshi, XxTehSparklepirexX, XxAlysxX, Blobers, a little black feather, WhenTheMugiwarasCry-ICryAlso, Jou-pup, A Bleach-Drinking Hetalian, fan girl 666, Lately, Axxi, fairy-hime-108, koosei, italiachick13, Audry Kai, MistyLovesSesshomaru, Randomanime456 **and **SchemingAlchemist **for the reviews!(Holy Bleeding feedback, guys! Thanks for the love! ^^)  
**

**Hope you enjoyed and please review!  
**

**RANDOM COUNTDO- no I'm just kidding xD**


	25. Waking Up

**Hey guys Kitty29 here with another short chapter of colours! Why short? Because I don't know what else to contribute and writing any more would just be confusing that's why.**

**Yeah. Don't be hating. (Is in weird mood right now)  
Pst, I just finish up with the hospital in To Follow the Music and now I start the hospital saga in this story. Why do I enjoy putting Matt in there so much? .-. **

**Can't think of anything else to say mmmmmmmm  
Enjoy!  


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**Matthew was ashamed to admit that the first thing he thought of when he awoke was that his bedroom was definitely whiter than it was when he left it just this morning. The second was wondering how he managed to fall asleep on his back, a fret that he had never been able to accomplish in his short life.

Then the pain hit, and his cry was probably what ticked off the nurses that he was awake. Of course, that was also when the events of the alleyway came flooding back to him, and the nurses where forced to drug him to calm him down. Suddenly not feeling up to trashing about anymore, Matthew could only lay there listen as the nurse explain just why he was in pain.

He had sprained his wrist when he had hit it against the fallen ladder extension. If he wasn't both drugged and majorly concerned for his friends he would have found it funny. He hit his _arm_ against the extension and the only thing he damaged was his _wrist?_ Some of Alfred's dumb luck must be rubbing off on him. He had also apparently fainted and hit his head shortly after help arrived and hearing that was a bit embarrassing. Some help he was in that whole situation. Though honestly, he could care less about himself. What he wanted to know about was Ludwig and Feliciano. How were they fairing? Were they okay? However, every time he would ask about it the nurses would either grow silent or change the subject, which only made Matthew increasing anxious. All that the nurses had told him was that they had informed his parents he was here and that they were on their way.

So that was why, after the nurses left and the drugs have worn off, he removed any machines that were attached to him and sneaked out of his room. If they weren't going to tell him anything than he would go and find out for himself. It would be fine, he would just find out about his friends status and then go back to his room before anyone would find out he was gone. Yes, it would be fine, he just had to mind his left wrist and make sure nothing hit his head. Simple, easy, he could do it. Or at least, that's what he thought.

To avoid the same nurse that had greeted him when he had awoken, he had hidden in a supply closet that had happened to be nearby. And, well... Apparently the closet was in the middle of a very busy hallway, for people were constantly running past it. He had been stuck in there for the last ten minutes, afraid that if he left one of the people would easily recognize him as a patient and force him back into his room.

Opening up the door a crack, he looked out to see if it was save to go. No, it didn't seem like a good time. Biting his bottom lip, he withdrew when he noticed someone walk just a bit too close. Well at least it wasn't a doctor but...Wait a second...wasn't that...

Reaching out his good hand, he grabbed onto the back of the persons shirt and pulled him into the closet with him. The person gave out a yelp of surprise, though seeing who it was he relaxed slightly though he still looked surprised.

"Matt?" Gilbert questioned before he looked over the hospital gown the other was wearing. "What the hell are you doing? I heard what happened, ho—"

"Gil, I need your help," Matthew quickly cut in. "I need to see Ludwig and Feliciano, just to see if their okay! The nurses aren't telling me anything and—"

Gilbert gently placed his hands on the Canadian's shoulders to stop him. "Matt! You have to go back and rest! You have a _head injury_!"

"No I don't!"

"Then why are there bandages around your head?"

"...Uh..."

"Matt, what's your middle name?"

...Uh...

Suddenly feeling desperate the blond tried to reason with him. "Please! I promise, right after I see them I'll go back willingly!"

"Matt..."

"I promise! I swear on my life, please! I_ need_ to know they're okay!"

Gilbert looked away from the teen, a guilty expression on his face. "Matt, stop."

Matthew's vision began to blur slightly as tears gathered in his eyes. "_Why won't you help me?_"

"'_Cause I don't want you near my brother right now!"_

Silence filled the small room at the confession. Matthew simply stared at Gilbert, too shocked to say anything. Gilbert released his hold on the Canadian and turned his back on the other, releasing a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Listen I...," Gilbert started, still turned away from Matthew. "A month ago you told me you killed a man, and then...And then my brother gets shot."

Matthew was appalled. What? Gilbert thought that he...But he would never! "I...I, I no—" His vision momentary failed him, and the next thing he knew he was leaning heavily onto Gilbert, his head suddenly throbbing. He felt Gilbert's arms wrap around him, working to keep him on his feet. Matthew clung onto him as well, tears flowing down his cheeks at the pain in his wrist but he didn't care. All he could think about was not wanting the Prussian to leave him. Not wanting him to hate him. He would never hurt his brother! He would never do anything to hurt him!

He would never...

he would never...

...

...

...Pacing about the waiting room was the only thing he could do to keep himself from going nuts. He didn't care that he was making some of the other persons there nervous or that he must have looked crazy mumbling under his breath as he went. Something was wrong with his twin, not just physically, but mentally. He really didn't know how he knew this, but he was sure of it. Matthew was in need of his older twin and these hospital bastards were keeping them apart.

"Alfred..."

The mentioned teen continued as if he didn't hear his name.

"Alfred."

He stopped when he felt someone tugging on his jacket and he turned to see Francis looking at him with a pleading expression.

"Please sit down. You're scaring people."

Though Francis was trying to hide it with his very half arsed smile, Alfred could still see the dread and worry in his face. He tugged his jacket back and stood with his arms crossed. He wasn't sitting, but he wasn't pacing either. Damn nurse, she had said that they would be able to see Matthew in just a few minutes. A few minutes didn't mean two hours six minutes and forty seven seconds. And what the _hell!_ They weren't even telling them anything! They said that Matthew was in some kind of 'accident' but they wouldn't say what the accident was! All they said was that of the three, he was the least unharmed, but who were the other two?

He released a low growl of frustration, not caring if he was scaring that little girl that was staring at him from across the room. He wanted, no, _needed_ to see Matthew! He needed him right. NOW.

"Mr. Bonnefoy-Kirkland?"

The married couple stood at the call and Alfred wasted no time in walking up to the nurse.

"If this isn't about seeing Mattie then you should just leave _now."_

"Alfred!" Arthur pulled him away from the scared nurse. "I'm terribly sorry. Please, how is Matthew?"

The young looking nurse throw a worried glance over at the frustrated teen before looking down at the clipboard she had in hand. "I-I'm sorry for the wait. Mr. Bonnefoy-Kir—er—Matthew is stable and doing well." Hearing that caused both parents to looked relieved. "He was just sleeping before, that's why you couldn't see him. But he's awake now, if you want to see hi—I mean..." Remembering the American's threat she assumed the answer to the unspoken question. "Please...Follow me."

She turned and walked out of the room, the three males following closely behind her. She wordlessly sped up her pace when she felt the glare she could only assume belonged to the blond teen burning into the back of her head and soon the four had reached the room where the young male was staying. She opened the door for the three males who walked inside without hesitation.

"Matheiu!" Francis stumbled forward and pulled his son into a hug mumbling thanks to God under his breath.

Alfred walked forward and grasped onto one of Matthew's hands. "Mattie! Shit, you had me worried!" He laughed in relief before he wiped the tears that had foamed in his eyes.

Arthur released a breath he didn't even know he was holding before walking to the other side of Matthew's bed. He was greatly relived to see that Matthew was alright. Yes, beforehand he was told that his wrist was sprained and that he had hit his head but he was stable. Still, something wasn't right. Looking over at Matthew, _really _looking at him Arthur noted that the teen didn't even look like he even noticed that his family had appeared before him. He was transfixed on the television in front of him a blank, almost dead look on his face. Arthur went to touch him to get his attention but figured he had enough people hanging off him and retracted his hand.

"Matthew?" He tried calling but the blond didn't seem to hear it over both Francis' and Alfred's inaudible mumbles of relief. Arthur tried again, this time much louder. "_Matthew!_ What's wrong?"

That caught Francis' and Alfred's attention. They pulled themselves out of their own worlds to really look at the Canadian and see that he didn't look as great as they would have wanted. With the room suddenly so quiet the television program that Matthew was watching could be heard.

"_'Makar Brendanus was definitively one of the strangest prisoners I've known,' says Joeri Waldemar, the police warren of the prison Brandanus stayed at. 'Always started fights. Never seemed to regret anything. Four years was too long to put him in the chair in my opinion. Now tha__t he's g__one...'"_

"He's...Dead?" Alfred marvelled aloud. He should have been happy, he should have been ranting about how much the bastard deserved it, but all he felt was cold. He appreciated when Francis pulled him closer as he continued to watch. Arthur, feeling that Matthew needed all the support he could get, reached down and squeezed onto one of his hands, in which Matthew squeezed back.

Knowing they all had comfort in each other they continued to watch the program, unable to look away.

/ / / \ \ \

"You know it's really too bad you're asleep right now 'cause I'm about to say something you've probably wanted to hear for a long time." The smallest of chuckles escaped him before he went on. "I am probably the biggest idiot on the face of the earth." Gilbert looked up at his slumbering sibling, almost as if expecting him to react in some way. Of course, nothing happened. Ludwig remained still, the faint beeping of the heart monitor filling what would otherwise be a quiet room.

Like everyone but the three that were involved Gilbert also didn't know what had happened. He did, however know about his brothers status. He knew that Ludwig had been shot and that shortly after his arrival to the hospital he was rushed into the ER so that they could remove the bullet. The surgery was successful, lucky the bullet didn't reach anything vital.

Gilbert released a sigh through his nose. He wished that Ludwig was awake so that they could talk but he knew he needed rest. He had apparently lost a lot of blood, so much that he was rendered unconscious.

"It really is a good thing you're a Beilschmidt. It takes a helluva lot to wipe us out, huh?" Again Gilbert released a small, hollow chuckle. "...You know who asked for my help before I came here? Matt." He reached over a pulled one of Ludwig's large hands into his own smaller, leather clad one before he continued. "He tried to sneak out of his room just so he could make sure you and Feli were okay, even with his messed up head. 'Course he didn't last long. Collapsed soon after he ran into me and the Doctors took him back to his room. But you know what I said to him? I told him not to see you because he might have been the one who shot you."

He groaned before thumping his head on the bed. "Well, I didn't actually say that but it was implied. I just...I just wanted him to not worry about you so that he could focus on himself. The first thing that comes to mind? 'Don't come near my brother! You shot him!' God...He's probably more worried now." He sighed before he stopped talking to beat himself up inwardly. God he felt so unawesome right now. He knew he was bad with words but holy shit, some guy with half his vocabulary could have probably come up with a better excuse.

"Shit, I sound like a chick right now." Gilbert decided to say aloud. "Sorry for taking your job."

"East...Shut up."

Gilbert's head snapped up to see Ludwig looking back at him through his glazed, slightly pained stare. Gilbert couldn't help but smile.

"Hey West. How are you feeling?"

Ludwig made a disapproving noise before he reached up with the hand that Gilbert wasn't holding and wiped his face. "Like shit," he answered.

"You look like shit," Gilbert replied, and he was telling the truth. Ludwig's current skin tone was one that could rival his albino brothers, and only made the deep sickly looking bags under his eyes stand out more.

Ludwig tried to adjust himself but stopped when pain shot through his side. "What happened? Where am I?"

"Don't you remember? You were shot. You're at the hospital but look at you now! Only a few hours after surgery and you're back on your feet!"

Ludwig froze. "I was in surgery?"

"Well, yeah. How else could they get this out?" This this point Gilbert reached into his pocket and pulled out a bullet. Ludwig stared at it with wide eyes.

"That..."

"Was inside you, yeah. Thought I would hold onto it for you," Gilbert said with a smirk, looking thoughtfully at the object. "Maybe you can make it into a necklace or something, showcase your bad ass ways."

Ludwig just stared at him incredulously, not sure if he was joking or not. "...I would never wear it."

That just caused the albino to laugh before silence fell upon the two, Gilbert giving his brother time to fully comprehend everything he had just told him. After several minutes, Ludwig finally asked the question that Gilbert was waiting for.

"How are Feliciano and Matthew?"

"Matt's fine," Gilbert quickly answered. "He hit his head and I think something wrong with his arm but other than that he's fine."

Ludwig nodded, allowing a small sigh of relief to pass his lips. "And Feliciano?"

An eerie silence descended upon the brothers and Ludwig looked to Gilbert to find his gaze elsewhere. "Gilbert?" Ludwig said, trying to get his attention. Still the Prussian refused to make eye contact and a bad feeling blossomed in the pit of his stomach.

"_Gilbert_." This time his tone was much more stern, albeit shaky. "How is Feliciano?"

Gilbert looked to him, his expression hard to read. "...The doctors did all they could."

Ludwig felt as if someone had grabbed into his heart and twisted it. No...Feliciano wasn't...He couldn't be...

"He's here, in the hospital, I saw him a few minutes ago."

Though hearing that was a great relief, the German couldn't help but feel as if the bad news was only yet to come. His instincts were right.

"Feli's in coma, West. I don't know when he's waking up."

* * *

_**SNAP.**_

**I'm sorry if the next couple of chapters are going to be a bit short. A lot of stuff is going to happen in the hospital but I don't want to overwhelm you with everything. So I might just split it into two or three more chapter before it's moves on. Or maybe not, I'm so bad at planning (It was really a stoke of luck that the countdown from before was accurate my god that was my biggest fear.)**

**Thank you **lilredd3394, natcat5, Lately, Her Diary, Randomanime456, xxassassinxx18, XxAlysxX, sageandsol, Music Is Meh Life, SchemingAlchemist, candy4yourEYEZ, WinterClover, Ayla The Librarian, fan girl 666, Axxi, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, Chocola Emo Shizzle, Fruity Loops of Pain, Blobers, a little black feather **and **luthinuvielle** for the reviews!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	26. Tuning In

**Hey guys, Kitty29 here with a new chapter of Colours!  
Sorry about this chapter. It's certainly not one I'm very proud of but I don't know how else to tweak it .-.**

**Gahhh...Enjoy.  


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**

It took several days before the Doctors allowed Matthew to walk around unsupervised. Apparently when Matthew snuck out of his room the first time they thought that he was trying to escape the hospital. Since than he's had to have someone escort him everywhere. The only thing it accomplished was making him self-conscious about how many times he went to the washroom a day. It was, truthfully, a very boring experience. Yes, he was frequently visited by family and friends but they could only stay for a few hours before they had to go back to their lives—but Alfred. Alfred stayed with him for as long as he could, even going as far as fighting with a Doctor to try and stay over night. Which...Didn't end well. The Doctor had to threaten to ban him from visiting the hospital before he left.

Even though he was visited by people he always had to spend the nights by himself. For once he didn't want to be left alone. When he was alone he thought. Thinking was possible the last thing he wanted to do right now. Thinking always led to the reminder that Feliciano wouldn't have been in a coma if he hadn't touched him. That Gilbert probably hates him for something he didn't do. That Makar Brandanus was...

Shaking his head to rid himself of the thoughts he swung his legs over the bed and stood. He had been laying there for too long and if he was right about the time school was over and Alfred would be here soon. So it didn't surprise him when he heard the door open and close.

What did surprise him however, was seeing Lovino standing there in place of his brother. He looked to him but didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say. What _could_ he say? What do you say to the brother of the guy you put in a coma? Though he didn't have to say anything, for it was Lovino who broke through the tense silence.

"Does it hurt?"

Matthew blinked. "Pardon?"

Lovino vaguely gestured to the cast that was placed on his wrist just a few days prior. Matthew looked to it and made a noise of understanding.

"Oh, um, no it's fine...Well, a little bit but it's...fine..." The room was lapsed into awkward silence, neither teens looking like they really knew what to say. Lovino broke the silence again.

"How long?"

Matthew blinked. "Pardon?"

"How long until they take it off?"

"Oh, um, about two weeks or so I think..."

The Italian nodded, his eyes not meeting with the other. "Can I see it?"

"Um...Okay...?" Hesitantly, the Canadian made his way over to the older male, his unease clearly showing on his face. Upon reaching him he raised his left arm for the other to see his cast. He was surprised when Lovino held onto it with both hands and brought his forehead down to it, his eyes closed. Matthew was just about to question what he was doing when he began to feel the slight pain in his wrist slowly numb. That's right, with everything going on he had completely forgotten about Lovino's ability. Healing. After a few more seconds Lovino straightened up and gave Matthew his hand back.

"I can't fix it but it will take less time to heal." He stated, still not making eye contact. Matthew slowly nodded.

Why was he being so nice to him? He thought that Lovino would be mad at him, want to yell or place the blame on him not help sped up his recovery. Though his question was answered when Lovino spoke next.

"I need your help," Lovino said, his brow furrowed. "It's Feliciano..."

"Okay." Matthew promptly agreed. Lovino was so shocked by his quick response that he looked him straight in the eye.

"What? 'Okay?' You don't even know what I'm going to ask you to do!"

Matthew shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I'll do whatever it takes to help Feliciano because I'm..." _The one who hurt him in the first place._

Lovino remained silent and stared at Matthew as if studying him. For the briefest of seconds he looked like he was about to cry but it was quickly replaced by his usual scowl. "Let's go."

Gripping onto Matthew's good hand Lovino began to pull him out of the room. Matthew willingly followed and Lovino lead him down the hallway and into what looked like another patients room. He was shocked to see that he wasn't the only one brought to help Feliciano.

Inside not only were their people from the club but there were also people from the warehouse group he often went too. Standing closest to the door was Elizabeta and Toris and after them were Yao and Bella who were whispering to each other on the other side of the small room. Mathew turned towards the bed, curious to whose room they were in and froze.

Ludwig. This was Ludwig's room and right there sitting next to him on the edge of the bed sat the guy who had told him to stay away from the the German in the first place. Gilbert.

His first instinct was to pardon himself and go back to his own room. But...If he had to ignore his friends for Feliciano then that was just what he had to do. Fully stepping into the room and closing the door behind them everyone looked up and acknowledged the two.

"Good Matthew's here," Bella stated before she looked over to Ludwig. "Now we can start."

Ludwig nodded and Matthew couldn't help but be confused. "What's going on?"

"We're brainstorming." Toris answered, and Matthew just now noticed that he was holding a notebook and pen, ready to start writing. "To see if there is anything we can do to help get Feliciano out of a coma."

Matthew's eyes went wide. "W-We can do that?"

"It's possible, aru," Yao said, crossing his arms in thought. "Lovino might be able to use his ability to wake him up but we need more information before we try. We don't want to make it worse. That's why you're here, aru. We need to know what happened when Ludwig was shot."

Matthew cringed. Although he had told the story several times before for his curious family and the police (though that was a paraphrased version), he didn't like talking about it. "Al...Alright." Matthew agreed. "If it's for Feliciano..."

Ludwig started first, recalling everything he could remember up to the point he had passed out in which Matthew took over. The room was silent as the blond retold the events and only stretched on after he had finished.

"Are you saying that Feli saved the bastard by suddenly gaining an _ability?_" Lovino explained, effectively breaking the silence. Matthew flinched but stood by his story.

"Yes. Nothing else can explain why Feliciano started bleeding in the same place as Ludwig's wound but an ability."

"It fits." Surprisingly, Gilbert had been rather quiet until now. "Before they let me see West I was trying to get info from some of the Doctors and one thought Feli was some kind of medical marvel. The only thing missing from his bullet wound was the bullet."

The room grew silent again as everyone let the new information sink in.

"So...If Feliciano hadn't did what he did...I would be dead." The air grew depressed at the German's statement and the room lapsed into uncomfortable silence. No one knew what to say to that. No one knew what they _could _say.

Jaw clutched and brows furrowed Ludwig looked upon the persons in the room. "We need to do something."

"Believe me Ludwig, we all want to do something," Elizabeta said, a bit of helplessness showing on her face. "But if Feliciano has an ability...Then that changes things."

"How?" Ludwig meant for it to be a simple question it came out more like a growl.

"Because Feliciano is a newbie he hasn't had the chance to use his powers and build up his energy," Bella answered, taking over. "Registering people will be a large shock for him that may or may not make his condition worse."

"Most likely worse, aru." Yao added.

Toris, seeing that Matthew looked a bit confused, leaned over and said, "Yao has been studying people like us for years with Bella sometimes helping him. Trying to discover what gives us these abilities," he informed while the room took on silence yet again. "That's why they're here. The rest of us are just too concerned for our own good."

"Has there ever been someone with abilities in a coma before?" Matthew asked and Toris shrugged.

"If there were I'm sure they would have said something about it."

"Gil, can you get some info from the people who brought in Feli? Anything about his condition or if he did anything funny on the way to the hospital."

"Yeah, sure Bell," Gilbert quickly agreed. "But what should we do in the meantime?"

"Wait," Yao said simply. "We should give him a week. If Feliciano's condition doesn't improve then we'll do something."

Everyone reluctantly mumbled sounds of approval back. None of them really wanted to wait that long, but it was the cautious route. The last thing they wanted to do was harm the small Italian.

Matthew looked up at the clock. "I should go. Alfred should be coming to visit soon and..."

"Thanks for your help Matt," Bella said with a smile. "Get better, okay?"

Matthew forced a small smile at her before he left the room. The people continued their conversation, even with the absence of the Canadian but Gilbert wasn't listening. He was staring at the door that Matthew had just exited from, wondering if he should follow him or not. Huh, what would Feliciano tell him if he was here...

'Do it Gil! Go after him! You can't leave him thinking you hate him! He likes you and you like him! It would be sad, ve...'

Imaginary Feliciano was right. He had to go and explain himself! He stood from the bed. "I'm gonna see if I can find the people who brought in Feli," He lied before he too exited the room.

Right, down to business. He had to go and apologize to Matthew...Again. Wow he kind of sucked at this didn't he? His awesomeness needed a tune up to become more...Awesomer-est. Awesomeberest? Awesomester?

Shaking his head of the thoughts he focused on Matthew. He had said he didn't want him near Ludwig because he told him he killed a man, which Gilbert still didn't believe. Though, truthfully, when he had said that a part of him did blame the Canadian for his brothers shooting. Then again, when he had first heard about it he had blamed everyone. He blamed Matthew for his past, himself for not being there and even Feliciano, who he now knew could have done nothing more to help the situation. Gilbert shook the thoughts from his head again with a sigh. He needed to focus on Matthew. Anything else could wait.

Reaching the room Matthew was in, Gilbert entered to find him standing with his back to him. "Matt...Matt listen I—"

"Touch me."

Well that was certainly something Gilbert didn't think he could hear. Flabbergasted, he managed out an intelligent, "huh?"

Matthew turned around to fully face the Prussian, determination in his eyes. "I want you to use your ability on me. Please."

Now this just made Gilbert more confused. No one had ever asked him to use his ability on them before—but Feliciano but that's Feliciano. "Why?"

Matthew looked away from Gilbert, his brow furrowed. "Every time I tell that story, about what happened in the alleyway, I always feel like I'm forgetting something. Something important."

"So you want me to use my ability to get it out of you?"

Matthew nodded and Gilbert frowned.

"You don't have to do this. Why won't you try telling me what happened again. And maybe then it will jog your memory—"

"I've already told this story several times, Gilbert and I can't remember anything!" Matthew turned his eyes to him again and Gilbert was surprised by how intense his gaze was. "Whatever I'm forgetting could be the key to getting Feliciano out of his coma! I need to do whatever I can to help him! Because _I'm_ the one who..." He trailed off and turned his gaze downward. Though Gilbert had heard enough to know what he was going to say next. "Matt, look at me."

His gaze remained downward.

"Matt." He walked up to the Canadian. Putting a finger under his chin and tilting it up Gilbert forced Matthew to looked at him. "_This isn't your fault._ If you want to blame anyone blame the idiots who thought that shooting at each other was a good idea!"

Mathew stared at him, a sadness in his eyes that Gilbert wished he could take away.

"...I know you hate me..."-Gilbert flinched- "But please help me. If not for me then for Feliciano...Please."

Gilbert couldn't help but feel guilty. Dammit, why did he suck with this stuff so much? "Matt...I don't hate you. I never did. The only reason I said that stuff was—"

"I don't care," Matthew interrupted. "If you do this for me, I'll forgive you."

Gilbert couldn't help but blink at him. "Seriously?"

Instead of answering him Matthew just grabbed onto Gilbert's hand. Pulling off the leather glove he entangled their fingers together. "Is this good enough?"

Gilbert pulled his hand back and instead placed it on his neck, allowing his thumb to brush against Matthew's cheek. "My ability works better the closer I am to your head." It was a lie, but any excuse he could give to touch him the way he wanted was certainly good enough for him. He closed his eyes and concentrated on getting the information

...

...

Gilbert removed his hand. "This isn't working. I need to go deeper."

Matthew didn't look like he liked where this was going. "Deeper?"

"Like I said before, you're a hard guy to pull stuff out of. To get the info I have to go deeper."

"What should I do?"

Gilbert stopped to think. He had to make this work, or else Matthew wouldn't forgive him. No pressure or anything. He raised his hand until it was just in front of Matthew's face. "Put my finger in your mouth."

Matthew looked shocked, and his cheeks took on a light pink, a look that Gilbert liked a lot better then his previous serious gaze. "Wh-What?"

Gilbert couldn't help but smile, but quickly forced it down thinking he might make the other mad. "The more intimate I am with someone, the more info I get from them. And being inside you is rather intimate, huh?" He couldn't help but throw in the sexual innuendo, succeeding in his mini mission of making the Canadian's cheeks heat up even more. Matthew looked away from the older male, embarrassment showing on his face.

"F-Fine," Matthew agreed. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, he grabbed onto Gilbert's hand, singled out the index finger and popped it into his mouth. Gilbert actually shivered when his finger was suddenly enclosed in such a warm, moist place. "Is it working?" Matthew asked, his words slightly slurred due to the digit in his mouth.

Gilbert remained silent, his eyes closed. Then, smirking, he plodded a second finger against his lips. "One more should do it."

Matthew flashed him a annoyed look, the flush on his face making it cuter than he intended it to be. He opened his mouth to allow the other finger into his mouth and Gilbert couldn't help but shiver again at the sudden—

"_M've."_

_He felt himself being pushed back before a larger blond man appeared before him and bent down over the two unconscious males. That man...Wasn't he the same guy from the movie theatre? The anxious one? Why was he here? Was he...Following him?_

_His thoughts in a whirlpool, Matthew could only watch as the adult pulled on gloves and moved Feliciano off of Ludwig.  
/_

"_Are you alright?"_

_Matthew just nodded dumbly as he pulled the jacket tighter around his body, suddenly feeling rather cold. The person nodded before she went off to go help pull the larger German onto the stretcher, which was a bit more difficult now that he had woken up and was constantly wiggling around. _

"_Strange, very similar wounds and yet, the other one didn't wake up when we moved him."_

"_I hear being shot could be rather tiring."  
/_

_Matthew couldn't help but stare at the larger blond man who had noticed his shivering and had pulled him closer to his body. He felt familiarity before with the scary looking male but now that he was so close the feeling was practically screaming at him._

"_I know you," He finally said, causing the adult to look at him. He smiled, making his face seem less intimating._

_"Ev'rything's g'in' ta be 'kay."_

_/ /hav, mi/ ...Alfred\where was\ \ _

_What the hell, What was going on? Emotions were flooding through him and he knew none of them belonged to him. He didn't know what to do. The colours before him were rapidly disappearing and Makar was—_

Gilbert was literally shoved out of the memory. He stumbled backwards, the sudden push into reality leaving him momentary dazed. He managed to keep himself upright and look at the extremely red Canadian.

"I really hope that worked!" Matthew exclaimed, his red cheeks undermining his angry look. "Or you would have almost_ chocked me_ for nothing!"

Gilbert was about to question what he was talking about until he looked down at the hand the Canadian was previously sucking on. Instead of the original two digits that were in Matthew's mouth his whole hand was wet with saliva. Oh...It would seem as though when he was stuck in the memories he had tried to, well, go deeper than was allowed. "Sorry about that, Matt, but I think I got it."

He retold what he saw, well, everything but the end part, not seeing what that had to do with the events at the alleyway. Matthew seemed a bit disappointed. "Is that all? I don't know if that will help...but I should tell Yao anyway." He rubbed his sore jaw and turned to leave the room. Well, before Gilbert grabbed onto his arm that is.

"Hold on, hold on. Those things I said before...You know I never meant it, right?"

Matthew just stared at him for a moment before a small smile appeared on his face. "Yeah, it's okay. I forgive you"

Gilbert returned the smile with a larger one of his own before he allowed the Canadian to head for the door again. "Actually, hold on. Let me ask you something."

Matthew stopped and turned back to the albino once more. "Yes?"

Gilbert wiped his hand on his shirt as he asked his question. "Who's this Makar guy? His name kept on..." He trailed off when he noticed Matthew's somewhat happy expression turn into a blank stare.

"You went too far." Was all the blond said before he left the room, leaving the puzzled Prussian to his thoughts.

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**The next chapters are going yo be a bit random cause I'm not to sure what order things should go in. Have everything planned but just don't know the order...ggaahhh...This is why I'm terrible with multi chapters.**

**Thank you **MistyLovesSesshomaru, Chocola Emo Shizzle, natcat5,TheFirstDarkblood, Randomanime456, A Bleach-Drinking Hetalian, XxAlysxX, Ayla The Librarian, HerDiary, Sakima Hebi, lilredd3394, xxassassinxx18, Axxi, Kereea, Music Is Meh Life, Glimmyfrost7, luthinuvielle, ManiacalDolphins, fan girl 666, cutegixie, fairy-hime-108, 518ZombiedDreams, IndulgedByTheRaven, Monochrome Cloud, koosei, BeautifulXinXBlood, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, FrenchFryLovesYou **and **kind-of-heart **for the reviews! (Ha, Gilbert bashing.)  
**

**Thank you for reading and please review!  
**


	27. Rumours

**Heys guys! Kitty29 here with a new chapter of Colours!**

**First of all, thank you **Monochrome Cloud **for the 500th review! Wow! 500! Can you believe it? I can't believe it. And now, just to stretch my luck, my next goal is 600 reviews! Let's do this thing!**

**Wow, I, um, didn't think I would get this chapter up so fast. I don't know why I'm writing this so quickly, maybe it's because of all the great feedback I get for you guys that majority strokes my ego every time I read them, thanks guys! Or maybe I'm excited for the later chapters. The later chapters are going to be gooodd.  
**

**Also, for those who care, I've been re-reading and editing this story(So many mistakes, ah!). I think I have the first...10 or so chapters up and edited, and the others should join them soon. Cause...apparently, as if once wasn't enough, some people like to go though this thing twice. I don't get it(So if you see any mistakes, please tell me).  
**

**Anyways, random author crap aside, please enjoy!  


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**"Did you hear what happened?"

"That Ludwig was shot? Oh meh god I know!"

"You think he's in a gang or something?"

"I heard he beat Feliciano into a coma!"

"Maybe that Williams kid did it. It's always the the quiet ones. He was there you know."

"I _hate_ rumours," Alfred mumbled as he bought his food and sulked back into the cafeteria. It was lunch time at the high school and today's hot topic of discussion was the shooting of their fellow classmate. At first everyone was just reporting what they had heard on the news but as the day went on more and more rumours and gossip emerged. The most outrageous one that Alfred has heard was that Ludwig was part of a gang and had led Matthew and Feliciano there because they owned him money. Ludwig then pulled out a gun and Matthew struggled with him. It was in that struggle that Ludwig had shot Feliciano before Matthew grabbed the gun and shot Ludwig.

It was absolutely ridiculous, even for Alfred's love for stupid stories. It was bad enough that Matthew had to go through all that in the first place. Now when he came back he had to deal with all this stupidness.

He sighed as he went and sat down at the table where Emmett and his group were or, as the rest of the school dubbed it, 'The Cool Table'. The table that Alfred was proud to say he had spent most of the year sitting at. "Hey guys!" He greeted as he set his stuff down. "You hear these rumours? Stupid, am right I?"

The table grew oddly silent at the American's words, it's members looking away from him. Alfred rose an eyebrow and tilted his head in confusion. "Uh, guys? When a bro greets you, you greet a bro back."

At that the people looked to him, each with a bit of disgust in their eyes. One by one they gathered up their things and left the table until only Alfred and one other were left.

"...The hell was that about?" The American wondered aloud before before he gasped. "Damn! You think Rook found out about Maria?"

"This isn't about his girlfriend hitting on you at some stupid dance," said Martin, a very close friend of Alfred's. "I don't think they're avoiding you, Al. I think they're ditching you."

Alfred looked utterly dumbfounded. "'Ditching me?' Why the hell would would they ditch me? I'm cool!"

"Do you need a list?" Martin said jokingly.

"Yes."

Martin stared at Alfred's completely serious face for a while before he indulged him. "Don't take this the wrong way but—"

"Argh! Why would you say that? Now I _am_ going to take it the wrong way!"

Martin ignored him. "You make friends with some of the most homophobic people in school and expect them to be friendly towards you?"

Alfred stared at him blankly. "What does that have to do with anything? I'm straight."

Martin rolled his eyes. "Yeah, as straight as a snake."

"...What?"

"You know, when it moves it doesn't go in a straight line but it kinda of...curves..." He decided to go back to the original topic. "You have two Dads, your relationship with your twin is borderline gay and you have a crush on Emmett, the frinkin' leader of the homophobes."

Alfred was about argue that, but then saw the bigger picture. "Wait. He knew?"

"Duh. Everyone knew Alfred, you're not exactly subtle. The only reason he still hung out with you was 'cause he thought you were cool. Said that as long as you didn't act on it he could over look it."

"...He said I was cool?" Alfred said, not seeming to hear the rest of the stuff.

Again, Martin chose to ignore him. "But I think what drove them over was the date you went on with the weird Korean guy who likes touching people's boobs."

Alfred slammed a fist down on the table, making his friend jump at the sudden mood swing. "_WHAT?_ I wasn't on a—with _Yong Soo_, I...! _Who told you that?"_

"_Dude,_" Martin held his hands up in a surrendering motion. "I've seen photographic evidence. That's what you get for running into Feliks. She, er, he's like the gossip queen or something...King...?"

Well..._Shit._ That date was _supposed _to be just a one time thing! Just a thing to make the kid happy. Not something the gossip queens could sink their teeth into! _Shit! _Removing his glasses his groaned as he ran a hand down his face. "Shit, bro. What do I do? I...I'm straight..."

Martin grew rather annoyed at this. "Look, lie to everyone else about this, but not me. I could care less if you dated turtles!...Unless it was _my_ turtle."

"Okay, fine! I'm...I'm bi but that's not the point! The point is...!" Wait. What was the point? Oh right...Not being 'cool' anymore...

Martin reached out and placed a hand on Alfred's shoulder. "You gonna be okay?"

There was a pause before Alfred nodded and placed his glasses back on with a grin. "I'll bounce back, I _am _the Hero! And Hero's can't mope around all day! But what about you? Aren't you going to follow them?"

Martin shook his head and smiled. "Nah. The only reason I was this group in the first place was because I'm friends with you. They dump you, they dump me."

Alfred smiled back. "That's oddly sweet. Thanks bro."

"But I, uh...Do have to leave you now," He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Emmett said he would drive me home now cause I kind of, uh, forgot my epiPen and if my mom found out she would _freak_ so—"

"You _forgot _your _epiPen__?"_ Alfred exclaimed, his eyes wide in mild horror. "What the hell? Go! _GO!"_ He then proceeded to slap Martin's arm until he too gathered his stuff and left.

"'Til you get it stay away from nuts! And shellfish! And gold! And bees! And..." Alfred paused. "Actually, just don't touch anything!"

Alfred watched until his friend was out of sight before he slumped down at the table and sighed. Well today was turning out to be _awesome_. Dumped by people he thought were friend's just because he went on a pity date. Yaaayyy... He was just about to get up to join some of his other friends when a timid voice called him out.

"H-Hello, Alfred. Do you mind if I sit here?"

Alfred looked up to see Katyusha, Matthew's rather busty friend, standing on the other side of the table, smiling at him nervously. Alfred blinked at her presence. Usually the girl spent nearly all of her spear time helping out school clubs that she got roped into joining, meaning she was almost never around for lunch. He smiled at her, "Yeah, sure."

Katyusha smiled back before she sat down. "I, um...I heard about what happened to Matvey..." She opted to looking down at her lap instead of the other student. "Is...Is he okay?"

Alfred nodded, "Yeah, he's fine. Sprained his wrist but now he has a cast you can sign."

To Alfred's confusion, Katyusha looked a bit relieved. Usually the girl overreacted to people getting paper cuts. "O-oh. That's good, I mean, I heard he was shot..."

Alfred rose an eyebrow. "Huh? No, no, Mattie didn't get shot. Where did you hear that?"

Katyusha released a large sigh of relief. "He-He wasn't? Oh thank _God. _I-I was really worried. Because we're close friends and all...I...I heard it from some classmates just this morning. Is it true that Ludwig dropped a computer motor on Feliciano's head?"

Alfred just stared, incredulous. What the _hell?_ He groaned before he thumped his head against the table, much to Katyusha's confusion. "That's not what happened! Those are just stupid rumours! Dammit, I need to do something to stop this..."

Though the last part was mostly said to himself, Katyusha still questioned it. "Um, Alfred? How are you going to stop rumours?"

There was a pause before an idea foamed inside his head. Huh, it wasn't his usual style of creating diversions, but what the hell. The first plan is usually the best one anyway, right? He smirked up at the Ukraine girl. "I'm gonna give them something else to talk about."

Without further elaborating to the confused female, Alfred stood from the table. Gathering up his stuff, he bid farewell to Katyusha before he made his way to another table. Specifically, the table where most of the schools Asian population sat.

"Hey," Alfred greeted once he was close enough. Everyone there greeted him back, one in particular looked elated that the American was among them. "Not gonna disturb you guys, just need to borrow Yong Soo for a bit." Even before the sentence was finished, the Korean had leap up and was by the American's side. Alfred was slightly disturbed by how fast he did that, but let it slide.

"Hi, Alfred, da~ze!" Yong Soo greeted happily. "What do you need me for?"

At this, Alfred grinned. "Oh you'll see." Grabbing the other by the hand, which gained a curt squeal of delight, Alfred lead him back to the table he was previously at, seeing as that was the only one that was pretty much empty (but Katyusha, who was watching the events unfold in wonder) Once there Alfred removed his backpack and rested it on a chair, and encouraged the Asian to do the same. Alfred then stepped up onto one of the chairs before he placed a foot on the table, looking like he was about to climb onto it. Yong Soo pulled him back a bit, just enough to get his attention. "What are you doing? That's school property!"

Wow, he actually looked a bit mortified by that fact. What was with Asians and school? "Climb up on the table with me, Yong Soo."

Yong Soo was shocked. "Why?"

Didn't look like the Korean was breaking down. Right, plan B. Alfred jotted out his bottom lip and tilted his head, trying to pull off the puppy dog look. "Please, Yong Soo? For me? Just this once I promise."

Success. Yong Soo's cheeks took on a light pink and he pursed his lips in thought. "If it's for you..."

Alfred smiled. He got up on the table before he helped the Korean up with him as well. Thankfully these tables were strong enough to support two teen males. Even so, Yong Soo continuing to hold onto the American's hand's, looking like he didn't trust the tables sturdiness. "Okay, da~ze. Now what?"

_Now__s __where the fun begins_, Alfred thought with a smirk. "HEY EVERYONE!" He suddenly called out with his loud voice, making Yong Soo jump. "THE HERO, A.K.A ALFRED F, BONNEYFOY-KIRKLAND, WANTS EVERYONES ATTENTION!"

Though the cafeteria was loud, Alfred's voice was just a bit louder and managed to get about half of the students to turn and look to him. Alfred now spoke a bit more quiet, hearing that the volume had died down. "So, there's this rumour going around that I was on a date with Yong Soo," At that, the room grew even more silent as more people began to pay attention, a couple of them even pulling out their phones to record the event.

"Yeah, I know it's ridiculous, right? Me, going on a date with another dude, but as soon as I heard it I knew I had to set things straight. This rumour...This rumour's true, Yong Soo and I were on a date." Some of the more excitable people began to chat frantically amongst themselves and the focus seemed to shift over to the Korea, much to Yong Soo's horror. It didn't seem like he liked being the centre of attention for such large crowds.

"But that's not it!" Alfred proclaimed, easily getting the attention back on him. "_I'm_ the one who asked this guy on a date! And you know what? I think I'll do it again! Cause I _like_ this dude!" Now, with nearly everyone's eyes on him, he turned to the Korean and whispered, "You ready? It's time for the big finale! Don't worry, I used to take dance lessons."

Yong Soo just stared at him, nothing in his face showing he understood what the American was talking about. "Wha—?"

Without waiting for a coherent answer, Alfred pulled back his hands so that he could wrap his arms around the smaller student. Then, swinging Yong Soo around and dipping him, Alfred smashed their lips together in a fierce kiss.

Immediately wolf and cat calls as well as camera's clicking sounded, but the two teens didn't care. They were lost in their own world, so much so that Yong Soo reached up and wrapped his arms around the blond's neck, increasing the volume of the cheers. Alfred had to force himself to break away from the kiss, especially since Yong Soo didn't seem as if he wanted it to stop either, not wanting to give the school more than they needed to get the job done. They simply stared at each other for a bit, their hot breaths warming each others cheeks as they panted slightly. It didn't seem as if either of them expected the kiss to be as intense as it was. Alfred was the one to break the silence between them.

"Wanna go on another date? I'll pay this time." He said just loud enough for the Korean to hear.

Yong Soo looked at him with wide eyes, his mouth parted slightly. It looked as it he was still trying to decide if this was a dream or not. "Y-Yes..."

"Cool. How's Friday? We'll meet after school."

"...yes..."

Moving Yong Soo so he was upright again, Alfred stepped off the table before he helped the other down as well. He then turned and left the cafeteria without a word, feeling as though his work was done and that it would be the epic thing to do. If he had looked back, however, he would have noticed Yong Soo nearly stumble when he concluded that this was real and have to be held up by Katyusha. If he had stayed, he would have heard the Korean's words as he was lowered onto a chair.

"Best first kiss _ever_, da~ze."

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**Alfred totally took salsa dancing as a kid. Because he can(Nah, it was probably ballet or something. Something to 'improve his wicked dance moves'). **

**Thank you **Glimmyfrost7, Randomanime456, uthinuvielle, Monochrome Cloud, cross-over-lover232, cutegixie, Misty, Axxi, Naruta13, Chocola Emo Shizzle, Ayla The Librarian, FrenchFryLovesYou, Miss T Hyuga, Her Diary, XxAlysxX, koosei, fan girl 666, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, IndulgedByTheRaven, fairy-hime-108 **and **Music Is Meh Life **for the reviews! **

**Hope you liked it and please review!**


	28. Training

**Hey guys! Kitty29 here with a new chapter of Colours!**

**I just want to report that this story is now over 100,000 words! WWWOOOOO! I actually think it's long enough to like, become a book or something, lol. This is the longest thing I have ever written. And of course it's fanfiction -fail-  
****The character of Malaysia or Raiman, belongs to **ArisaLyeanna **not me**.

**Well that is it. This is a good chapter so please enjoy!  


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**Matthew wasn't sure how much help the information that he previously gathered would be, but even so he was glad he decided to share. Yao seemed rather intrigued by it, particularly about the gloves that the blond man had put on before he moved Feliciano. Which Matthew found a bit strange, but thinking back on it the man's gloves were a bit off. Instead of those latex gloves that one would expect someone to put on before dealing with a body, they were simple winter gloves. Misplaced winter gloves, almost as if he had just grabbed a random pair in a hurry.

Though Matthew tried not to think too hard about it as he walked back to his room. He just hoped that the information helped in waking up Feliciano. He opened the door, fully expecting to see his brother smiling back at him. To his surprise, there was no one. He frowned, no sure what to do with himself with the sudden free time in his makeshift schedule. He stood there awkwardly, absentmindedly thumping his hands against his legs as he released a sigh. Well, what would he do now?

Wondering over to his bed he decided to get an early start on his homework. Raiman had been nice enough to gather his work from his classes and give them to him. Which Matthew was very grateful for, as it was almost the end of the school year and it was now that the teachers decided to pile the work on them. With the days he was forced to stay away from school, Matthew really didn't want to fall behind.

He lay down on his stomach and leaned over on the over side of the bed to reach his backpack. He unzipped it and pulled out the necessary textbooks and binders—a bit difficult with his new cast—tossing them on the bed behind him as he went. Feeling he had everything, he pulled himself back onto the bed to get started.

"Hello Matvey."

"ARH!"

Matthew quickly flopped himself over, almost falling off the bed in the process, to look at the Russian who had suddenly appeared at the foot of the bed.

"I-I-I-_Ivan!" _Matthew stuttered uselessly, clutching at the fabric over his racing heart. He was thankful that that larger man chose to stay quiet as he tried to calm himself down. When he could think straight again he noted that this was the first time he had seen Ivan since the shooting. It made him a happy he came to visit. "H-Hello. S-Sorry I didn't see you there."

Ivan smiled at him, but this smile wasn't the usual creepy smile that the Canadian associated with the larger man. It was almost...Normal. Matthew would be lying if he said it didn't creep him out as much, if not more than his usual smile. "Expecting someone else?"

"Well...Y-Yes, usually my brother comes at this time..."

"Ah, yes. Alfred was it? He is very...Loud."

Matthew nodded. Yep, that sounded like his brother all right.

"He came, but I sent him away. So we can...Talk. I heard about what happened."

Matthew blinked. Well that sounded important, especially if he went to the trouble of getting Alfred to stay away from him. A rather impressive fret. "W-Well okay..." He positioned himself so that he could give the other his full attention—kicking some homework stuff off the bed in the process.

"I heard about what happened," Ivan repeated, his smile gone. "And I have to say I am disappointed."

A dread rose in Matthew's chest, but he remained silent. He didn't want to interrupt his teacher.

"There is much more you could have done in that situation, Matvey. If Feliciano had not developed an ability the outcome would have been different." He paused to allow the Canadian to speak, which he promptly did.

"I know," Matthew said. He found himself looking down at his lap as he continued. "I...Being here has given me a lot of time to think about what happened. I could have used my ability to help but...I don't know what I could have done."

Ivan tilted his head to the side as he stared at the smaller male, nothing is his exterior showing what was in his mind. "I can show you."

There was no hesitation in Matthew's answer. "Please."

Ivan continued to stare for a bit before he straightened his head and smiled, though the Canadian didn't see it. "Look up."

Matthew complied and he found himself sitting at the long table at the basement of the warehouse. He stood, surprised, and looked around wildly. How did he get here? And where was Ivan?

"This will be easier for us to chat, da?"

He turned to see Ivan walking down the stairs, smiling.

"W-Why, I mean, how did we get here?" Matthew asked, trying to kept himself calm. If Ivan had done this than he couldn't be in any danger, right?

"Here?" Ivan asked as he planted his feet firmly on the ground floor. "We're still in the hospital. We're not even talking."

Matthew was growing more and more confused by the minute. "I don't understand."

Ivan walked up to the table and stood in front of it, his smile growing. "Of course you don't." Though the voice was coming from him, his mouth didn't move.

Everything clicked. No one had told Matthew just what Ivan could do. Then again, he never asked. He looked around again. Everything just seemed so...So...Real. He looked down at his hands and noted with a start that that his cast was gone. Curious, his tried rolling his previously injured wrist. No pain. "This is...This is your ability."

For a moment Ivan actually looked proud of his student. "I am fooling your mind. Making you think this is happening."

Matthew gulped, not really liking the fact that someone was in his head. Nevertheless, he decided to sit down and force himself to get comfortable. "Why...Why are you showing me this?"

Ivan followed his example and settled down at the head of the table. "Our abilities are similar. Both manipulate the mind." Matthew didn't look like he understood, so Ivan continued. "Emotions do not come from the heart, like people are raised to think. Emotions come from here," he tapped a finger against his skull. "The mind controls emotions and emotions control the mind. Control your emotions, Matvey, and you control everything."

Matthew nodded slowly, trying to let the words soak into him. "Is that why we're here?"

Ivan paused before he tilted his head and stared at Matthew, the same unreadable expression on his face as before. "If I continue, I will not stop. No matter what you do. Do you want that?"

Matthew pursed his lips, not really sure what to say or what Ivan wanted to hear from him. Whatever he was planning to do sounded dangerous. Plus they were already in his mind—they _were_ in his mind...right?—they could do anything, go anywhere. But even so...He needed to know how to control his ability. What if something else happened that he could have helped with but couldn't? Ignoring the dread that was squeezing onto his chest, he hesitantly nodded. "I...I'll do whatever it takes."

A dark grin appeared on Ivan's face as the last words left Matthew's mouth. "Then we will start, comrade."

Matthew suddenly felt constricted. He tried to move but was unable to do anything but wiggle. He looked down at himself and was mortified to find that he was laying on a metal table completely naked, nothing covering him expect plastic, that was wrapped around him so tightly that moving was nearly impossible. He looked around wildly, the rate of his breathing increasing, but everything was black. He was surprised he could even see himself.

"The idea came from watching Dexter. I always wanted to do something like this."

Ivan appeared beside him, smiling down at him with his usual creepy smile.

"I-Ivan! W-What's going on? What are you do—"

He was silenced by a finger being pushed against his lips. "Shush, Matvey. It is my turn to ask the questions now, da?" He removed his finger and was pleased when the Canadian remained silent. "I only have one question. Tell me, what did you do to Makar Brandanus?"

Matthew froze, and his breath hitched in his throat. "H-How...How did you..."

Ivan laughed. "Naive little Matvey. You think just because it happened in another country and that your name was never released that it would be hard to find out? I put the pieces together. Before you came, Makar had an...Attitude of sorts. After you he was a whole other person."

Matthew gulped, and he looked away from his teacher when he felt a faint stinging behind his eyes. He didn't want to...No one had to know what he... "I...I didn't do anything."

Ivan reached over and harshly cupped his face, forcing him to turn and look at him. He was done playing games. "_BULLSHIT! _You did something to him with your fucking abilities. You want me to help you? I must know _everything!"_

Matthew looked like he was about to cry, and he choked back a sob before he spoke. "I told you! I didn't do anything!"

Ivan slammed Matthew's head against the table, causing the Canadian to yelp out in pain. The Russian moved so that he was right in Matthew's face, his expression a fearful amalgamation of anger and amusement. His voice was low and study as he spoke. "You don't know the things I can do to your mind while I'm in here. _I _don't know _all_ the things I can do. If you don't tell me I'll be more than happy to _experiment, _comrade."

Matthew tried to fight back the tears, but even so a couple slipped past his defences. "He...He was going to hurt me..."

"So you fought back," Ivan urged, his grip on the Canadian not loosening in the slightest.

"He was...He was bigger than me! I couldn't do anything to him physically!"

"So what did you do Matvey?"

"I...I reached out...I had to stop him somehow! I wasn't thinking! I didn't know what I was doing! I..."

"_What did you do Matvey?"_

"_I stole his emotions, okay!" _He yelled, his eyes shew shut as he allowed the tears to fall down his cheeks. He didn't even feel Ivan let go of his face as he went on on his tirade. "I didn't know what was happening! All of his emotions just _flowed _into me and his colours disappeared! I took them! I took them away from him! The fact that he fell and cracked his head open should have been a godsend! I shouldn't have called for help. He would have been better off _dead!" _His body began to shake as he sobbed, not caring that the Russian was watching him. "There, I-I said it! Are you _happy?"_

Ivan straightened up and watched the Canadian as he cried. He didn't look happy. He didn't even look amused. "You're hysterical." Was what he said in place of an answer. Matthew glared up at him, anger shining behind his tears.

"How would you react if I did this to you?" He yelled, his voice surprising steady despite his tears.

Ivan had the decency not to smile. "Is this what you were like back at the alleyway?"

Matthew's anger melted into incredulous confusion as he stared. "_What?"_

At this, Ivan couldn't help but grin. "This must have been what you were like back at the alleyway. Now would be a perfect time to overcome your emotion!"

Matthew's blood ran cold when Ivan revealed a large kitchen knife clutched in his hand. He turned away from Matthew's face and instead focused on his body, poising the weapon as if to strike.

"_What are you doing?"_ Matthew shrieked, desperately trying to wiggle away but failing miserably.

"This is the real test, Matvey!" Ivan yelled, a crazed look in his eye. "None of this is real! This situation doesn't exist! We're still at the hospital!"

"Pl-Please! D-Don't do this!" Matthew pleaded, fresh tears staining his face. Ivan shook his head, the growing grin only adding to the insanity on his face.

"I said I wasn't going to stop, Matvey! You agreed to this!" With those words Ivan swooped down and plunged the knife deep into Matthew's stomach.

Matthew gasped, arching his body as much as his plastic confines would allow. For the briefest of seconds, he didn't feel anything. Perhaps that was from the shock that the Russian had actually stabbed him. Perhaps it was because for a moment, he truly believed that this situation didn't exist. He just wished that second lasted longer. His vision turned white when his body registered the pain and he screamed louder than he knew he could.

"The pain isn't real!" He heard the Russian yell over his screams, but there was something wrong with his voice. It sounded distorted. "Control your emotions, Matv...!" He trailed off and Matthew could no longer hear him over his cry.

There was a sudden sharp pressure on his chest and he opened his eyes to find himself back at the hospital, panting heavily. Immediately he clawed at his stomach, feeling around for any wound. Nothing. Breathing a sigh of relief he allowed himself to sink into the bed, placing a hand on his forehead in disbelief. He lay there for a while, slowly allowing both his mind and heart to stop racing. That...That was all his in head...When it had gotten to the point that he could think straight he covered his face with his hands, feeling as if he was about to start crying again.

"Don't cry."

He moved his hands down so he could see Ivan standing next to him. He quickly looked away, the sight of the man only making it that much harder to hold back the tears. Ivan leaned in closer.

"Whatever you do, Matvey. Don't cry. You have to learn to control these weak emotions, da? You have to learn not to rely on others."

"What the hell?"

Both males looked up to see Gilbert standing at the door, looking at the scene in disgust. "Ivan! What are you doing to him? Get the hell out!"

"Good to see you too, Gilbert," Ivan said with a smile before he looked back at the young blond. "Remember what I said, comrade. The lessons will continue when you feel better." With that he smiled at the albino again before he went to leave the room. Gilbert didn't take his eyes off him until he was down the hallway.

"Bastard," Gilbert hissed before he looked back at the vulnerable looking Canadian. "Hey, Matt. You okay?"

Matthew muttered something, but it was far too quiet for Gilbert to hear.

"Huh?" He questioned, moving in closer to the other. Matthew looked up at him, and Gilbert was taken aback by the anger in his eyes.

"I SAID _GET THE FUCK OUT!_" Matthew yelled, picking up a random binder and throwing it at the older male. Gilbert cussed before he blocked the object and followed the Canadians request of leaving, not wanting to be on his bad side. Making sure he had left, Matthew removed his glasses and dug his palm into his eye, desperately trying to follow what his teacher had told him.

Don't cry...Don't cry...Don't cry...That was all just in your head...It was in your head, don't cry...Don't cry...Homework. Homework is what he needed to do. Reaching for the nearest textbook, which happened to be math, he flipped it open to a random page. Let's see...imaginary numbers...

He always did have trouble with imaginary numbers...

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**I was totally watching Dexter when I wrote most of this chapter, so I wanted to put the reference in there somewhere.**

**Thank you **Streamshower, kind-of-heart, Monochrome Cloud, XxAlysxX, cutegixie, Cruz-Hime, Luna-Discord, SchemingAlchemist, Randomanime456, TheFirstDarkblood, Mayurei 13, koosei, Roxprincess741**, **Axxi, xxassassinxx18, fairy-hime-108, A Bleach-Drinking Hetalian, fan girl 666, Skadiyoko, Lately, MistyLovesSesshomaru, WinterClover, FrenchFryLovesYou, natcat5, HerDiary, Sakima Hebi, BeautifulXinXBlood, niyoniyo, Chocola Emo Shizzle, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, Fierce Kitten, Naruta13, PrussianPunkie, Leite Destiny, Silvermoon of Forestclan **and** Enyo** for the reviews! (I wish I could salsa dip and kiss you all.)  
**

**Thank you for all for reading!**


	29. Glass

**Hey guys! Kitty29 here with a new chapter of Colours! Whoop!  
So mmmm, curses I'm running out of rambles to be had at the start of these things! Dah! Oh well, it's not like most of you guys read it anyway. (...That made me more sad than it should have .-.)  
**

**Well, actually, I did think of something! Listening to **Hotblack** by** Oceanship** while reading this chapter makes it seem a lot more epic. That is all.  
**

**Anyway, please enjoy the new chapter!  


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**It wasn't until the next day were Francis and Arthur allowed to take Matthew back home. He was there longer then he should have because of his head injury, the Doctors wanting to go through the necessary tests to make sure that his bump on the head was just that, a bump on the head. Though as soon as they established that they sent him home. Everyone was elated to have the Canadian back home. The only one who didn't seem happy was Matthew. Then again, Matthew didn't seem happy about much of anything since he left the hospital.

Naturally the married couple were concerned. They had offered to keep the Canadian home from school, thinking that his behaviour might be linked to him being nervous about going back but Matthew declined. Saying he didn't want to miss anymore than necessary. So, not really knowing what to do they allowed him to do what he wanted. Unfortunately what he wanted was to stay locked up in his room and only come out for food and school. Of course this only served to make the parents even more worried.

"What happened to mon petite Mathieu?"

Arthur looked up from his work to find Francis standing at the doorway to his office. Usually he hated being interrupted when he was working but for this he could set his stuff aside. "Matthew is still there," he said with a sigh as he began to put his paperwork away. Francis sighed as well before he crossed his arms as if hugging himself and leaned against the door fame, looking elsewhere with a melancholy expression.

"I know...I know that Mathieu is there but I just..." He paused before he decided to walk further inside the small office. "What should we do Arthur? Should we...maybe...Get him another therapist?"

Arthur shook his head, putting away the last of his paperwork. "No, no Francis. I don't want Matthew confused by two different viewpoints." Plus, he had began to grow fond of Dr. John and getting another therapist would almost seem like...Cheating. "He...He's been through something that we can't even begin to imagine. The most we can do is support him."

Faint distress joined the mixture of emotions that Francis was feeling, only adding to the various lines of age that the British man wasn't accustom to seeing on his husband's face. "So we do nothing," Francis simplified. His eyes began to shine with unshed tears as he released a very shaky breath in a vain attempt to calm himself. "I don't know if I can do that Arthur."

Arthur stood and walked around the desk towards his spouse. "Francis, we—"

He was interrupted by a sharp crashing sound echoing throughout the house, causing both males to looked out the open door. Silence stretched on between the two as they listened intently, their bodies stiff.

"...Was that from the kitchen?" Arthur pondered aloud. Nearly as soon as the words left his mouth the sound was heard again and immediately the two went off towards it. It didn't take long for them to reach the source of the noise and instantly they were able to identify it. Francis reached out and grabbed Arthur's arm in shock when he saw Matthew standing in front of the sink, glass plate raised above his head as if getting ready to throw it to the ground, where evidence of other smashed plates lay.

"Mathieu! What are you _doing?"_

The horrified shriek of his father caused the Canadian to look up at the two, unintentionally giving them a clearer look at his state. The hand that wasn't grabbing onto the plate, which was thankfully his good hand, was clutching onto the counter as if it was keeping his whole body from collapsing which, with the way he was shaking and how weak he looked in the knees, it may as well have been. Deep bags rested under his eyes, he seemed just a bit paler than usual and his hair was in complete disarray, all signs of lack of sleep. But what bothered the two the most were his eyes. They were open so wide it was almost cartoonish with his pupils so small in comparison that his eyes seemed white. Though he was looking directly at his two parents, it was almost as if he was looking through them rather than at them. In fact, nothing on his face showed that he even registered that it was his parents he was looking at. Rather, it was some random person who had caught him with his hand deep in the cookie jar.

His body froze as he continued to stare at whatever he was looking at, his constant shaking being the only thing showing he was still breathing. The plate he was holding slowly began to slip from his relaxing fingers and within moments it joined it's fallen brethren. Matthew jumped, the loud noise seeming to break him out of whatever trance he was in. He quickly twisted his body so that he could clutch onto the counter with his other hand as well, the cast obviously making his grip hard to obtain. Though as he continued his attempts not once did his eyes leave the people in front of him. Finally, he spoke.

"I...I-I-I-I..." He looked away for the briefest of moments to try and coat his dry throat with saliva, which did nothing but dehydrate him further. He looked in the general direction of the two older males again, his eyes rapidly darting around as if trying to find something that would answer the question for him. In his state he failed to notice the light sweat begin to break out on his forehead.

"I...I...Emotions...I'm trying to control...I thought this might help but it...I-I..." He slumped more of his weight on the counter as his shaking increasing, raising his left injured hand up to his face before he broke into unexpected tears, making both the persons in front of him to jump.

"I-I'm so sorry! I-I tried _so hard!_" He hiccoughed and the married couple looked to each other, both hoping that the other knew what he was talking about.

Seeing as that provided nothing, Francis began to walk towards his son. "Mathieu, it's okay you can—"

He stopped in his tracks when Matthew all but slammed himself closer against the counter. His crying had abruptly stopped and horror filled his eyes. "DON'T!" He suddenly cried, his voice creaking at the volume before he went on to babble on a quieter tone, "I'm not stable, and I can't control, so you shouldn't come...I could hurt, I mean, Papa I don't want to do it, I don't want to do anything that's why I'm doing this, I...I...!"

"Matthew! Stop!" Arthur suddenly called, worried that the smaller blond was having some kind of panic attack. "Deep breaths, lad. Deep breaths..." He started to make slow, deep breaths as he encouraged the boy to do the same. After a while, Matthew copied, making deep, shaky breaths until his breathing had calmed down.

"Feel better?" Arthur asked, sending a small smile his way. Matthew nodded slowly, though his posture didn't relax in the slightest and his back was still pushed against the counter so close someone may as well had hot glued him to it. Arthur released a very slight laugh before he slowly started to walk closer to the other. "Alright, lad. Now why don't I make us some tea and we can talk about thi—"

Though it seemed as if he got a little too close, for Matthew let out a petrified squeak before trying to press himself closer to the counter. Though seeing that that was impossible, decided to instead make a mad dash to the other side of the kitchen, not seeming to care about the shreds of broken glass that surrounded him. He only turned back to face the two when there was a fair amount of distance between them. "Ar-Arthur! Please! J-Just stay away!" His voice was shaking now and he reached up his right hand to wipe away the unshed tears. "I-I'm unstable! I-I don't want what happened to him to happen to you! I can't be around anyone I...I...!"

A gasp escaped him when two arms suddenly wrapped around his stomach from behind and pulled him into his body. Matthew didn't even have to look behind him to know who it was. He began to trash about wildly. "A-_Alfred! _Let me go! I-I...! I don't want to hurt you!"

Even through his trashing he could feel his twin lay his head against his back. "You can't hurt me, Mattie," Alfred said in a soft tone, a tone that the Canadian had long forgotten the other could even manage. "I won't let you. Then who would be around to be your hero?"

Matthew stopped trashing at those words and he looked back at the American in shock. Again, he tried to hold back the tears that pricked at his eyes but even so they slipped past his pathetic defences. "He...He said I need to stop relying on others..."

Alfred just pulled him closer to his body, unfazed by his words. "I love you, Mattie."

Matthew's previous tears escalated into full body sobs and he allowed himself to slump against his twin as he brought his hands up to desperately try and wipe the tears away from his face. "I-I l-love you t-t-too!" He managed out before he lost himself to the tears, the parents simply watching the scene from the sidelines uselessly.

The twins stayed like that for a bit before Alfred led them upstairs, leaving the married couple alone yet again. They stayed staring at the place where their sons previously were, both shocked by the events. It was Francis who broke through the silence with a sigh. "I don't think I can take all this," he then went and sat down at the table, placing his head in his hands.

Arthur, not to sure what to do with himself while he was still in a daze, decided grab a broom and start cleaning. Tense silence settled over the two as they were lost in their own thoughts. About fifteen minutes later Francis left the room, only to return with something in hand. Though Arthur didn't notice what he was carrying. He didn't even see his husband walk into the room again. Just as soon as he heard his footsteps he spoke.

"Did you hear what he called me?" He said, stopping in his work. He didn't expect an answer as he continued. "Arthur. He's back to calling me Arthur." In an unexpected show of anger he raised the broom and slammed it to the ground, the reassuring crack of the broom as it bounced lamely off the ground echoing throughout the eerily silent house. Francis was surprised it didn't break.

"Why is it that whenever I take a step forward with the boy something happens to bring us three steps back?" He yelled, not caring who heard it as he slammed his hands on the kitchen island and tried to calm himself with deep breathing. It was working as much as it did with Matthew.

There was silence before the sound of a chair being dragged back was heard. "Arthur, come here."

"I don't want a hug, Francis," Arthur automatically assumed, a bite in his tone.

"I'm not offering you a hug."

At that Arthur turned to look at the Frenchman and found him gazing back at him with a colourless smirk, a bottle of unopened vodka standing proudly on the table before him. For a moment, Arthur could do nothing but stare, not sure if Francis was joking or not. Then, with a smirk of his own, he grabbed two shot glasses—thankfully not among the glass that the young Canadian had destroyed—before he headed towards the other.

"I love you, Francis," he said, earning a hollow laugh from his husband.

"I would hope so, or this marriage would not work, non?" It was a sick attempt at humour, a nervous trait that Alfred had inherited as well. When the Brit was seated across from him Francis opened the bottle and poured shots for both of them. "I forget how many you can have until I have to cut you off."

"Stop me when my words start to slur," the sandy haired man answered before he easily downed the shot, welcoming the burning as it slid down his throat.

It wasn't a big secret to anyone who knew Arthur that he used to have a bit of a drinking problem. Fortunately he managed to stop before it evolved into alcoholism but even so he tried to stay clear of anything stronger than beer unless it was a special occasion.

Francis took the shot as well, shutting his eyes against the burning. He really wasn't big on anything stronger than wine, but this time he would make an exception. "There has to be something more we can do..." He decided to lament as he poured them another shot. "If only one of us had an ability, than maybe he would be more open to us."

"They are closer than you think," Arthur said after he downed the second shot, and almost immediately he regretted it. Dammit, what the hell was he saying? Though Francis didn't seem to notice the deeper meaning to the words. He took the second shot as well, it going down easier this time, before he released a gentle sigh.

"I know Matthew has the people from those groups he goes to but I was talking about something closer, like if one of us had an ability..." He laughed at the thought as he poured another round. "Or maybe we may develop one, non? Feliciano was a late bloomer, was he not?"

Arthur remained silent as he hid behind his third drink, the burning not drowning the raising guilt like he hoped it would. He wasn't exactly sure why it was so hard to just tell his partner of what he could do. It just...was, like telling a parent that you're the one who broke their favourite vase. Now he understood why Matthew danced around it so gracefully for all these years.

"Arthur, is something wrong?"

The mentioned man looked to the concerned Frenchman. Forcing a small laugh, he scrambled for something to say. "No, I'm fine. I'm just starting to feel the effects of..." Though the excuse died on his tongue as the guilt rose in his chest once more. God dammit emotions what were you trying to say? That _now_ was a good time to tell? That he was being selfish for not doing all he could to support the ones he loved? That Francis was so open with him with everything while he locked himself behind closed doors?

...Goddamn bloody fucking guilty emotions.

He slammed down the shot glass harder than he meant to, making the other party present jump.

"Maybe this is enough," Francis concluded, deciding not to have his forth shot. He knew his lame limits.

"That's not it..." Though Arthur made no move to stop the other from screwing the top back on the bottle as he released a sigh to try and mentally prepare himself. "There's...Something I need to tell you, bunny."

Francis' hand stilled at the nickname. Arthur never called him bunny unless he was trying to butter him up for something. Whatever he had to tell him had to be important. He rested his hands on the table in front of him before giving his husband his full attention. "What is it, Arthur?"

Arthur coughed into his fist to clear his throat before he forced himself to make eye contact with the blond. "Well, um...Bunny," two times now, this _had _to be important. "You know how you said it would be better for Matthew if maybe one of us had an ability?"

Francis nodded, hoping it was the alcohol he felt grabbing onto his chest and not dread.

Arthur couldn't bring himself to look at his husband as he spoke next, "Well...I have one. An ability that is. I had one for...Awhile."

Silence followed the confession, an even more tense silence than when the twins had left the room. Arthur found himself getting increasing nervous as the quiet dragged on, but he couldn't bring himself to look up to see the others reaction. Instead he assured himself that after the silence was over it would be just like when Matthew had revealed his secret, which had ended quite happily. Francis spoke.

"What is it?"

This caused Arthur to look up and he flinched at the harsh look on his partners face. "...I can see things. Creatures...Magical creatures. It's a...Common ability..." He trailed off as Francis let out a humourless bark of a laugh, turning away and shaking his head.

"That would explain a lot!" He said, a amused smile on his face as he continued his deranged laughter. Arthur simply stared, trying to tell himself that the bad feeling raising in his stomach was just from the shots he took.

"Francis w—"

"How long?"

Arthur was taken aback when the laughter abruptly ceased and he was back to staring at him with that harsh look. "P-Pardon?"

"How long did you know you could 'see things?'"

At that Arthur had to think back. Was there even a time when he _couldn't _see these things? "Since...Since I was just a lad I suppose..."

Francis made a understanding sound in the back of his throat, his brow creasing in slight anger. "And when were you planning to tell me?_ After _you run away with your second husband?"

Arthur was appealed by the others accusation. "_What?_ Francis you're being ridiculous!"

Francis was on his feet now, looking disgusted that he was sitting so close to the Brit in the first place. "Ridiculous? Don't tell _me _I'm being ridiculous! You're the one who claims you can see fairies!"

Now Arthur found himself standing as well. "Are you saying you don't believe your bleeding _husband?_"

"Of course I believe you you bumbling moron! I would believe anything you say!" Francis yelled, his accent growing thicker the more angry he grew. "What I do not believe is you not trusting me with such a huge part of who you are!"

Well that shut Arthur up, though Francis was not done.

"You think I _wanted_ to tell you some of the horrible things that happened in my life before we got married? You think I _wanted_ to tell you that at one part of my life I was forced to sleep with strangers to live? I didn't want to tell you any of it! I wanted it to be locked up and never thought about again! But I told you anyway! Why? Because as much as it was a horrible time for me, it's a part of _who I am!_ And I wanted you to know _exactly _who I was so that this marriage could _work!" _He didn't bother hiding the sadness in his eyes as he went on, his voice cracking as he spoke, but he didn't care. "Four years, Arthur. Four years may not be a very long time for a marriage but I thought it would be a long enough time for us to stop keeping secrets from each other! I...I don't even feel like I know who you are right now."

Arthur stepped forward, not sure what he should do. "Francis, I—"

"Don't," Francis said quite softly, not sure how long he could hold back the waterworks. All he knew was that he didn't want to cry in front of _him. _Not now. "I can't deal with all this. I have to go away for a while." He turned on his heel and left, leaving a baffled English man behind. Still in shock, Arthur followed after him.

"Francis—!" He called as he watched the other gathered up his keys and wallet. "Francis I...! You can't drive right now! You've been drinking!"

"I'll take the bus." Came Francis' sharp retort. He went to open the door but paused. He heard Arthur stop just a few feet behind him and he released a shaky sigh. "...Make you sure you check on Mathieu and Alfred in a few hours and leftovers are in the fridge. I'll be back in..." He never finished the end of his sentence as he opened the door and left, leaving the house colder than before.

Arthur couldn't help but stand there and stare at the closed door, his mind still trying to catch up with the events of what just happened. Even before it did, Arthur turned and walked back in the kitchen in a daze. He didn't even try to avoid the stray pieces of broken glass as he made his way back to the table and slumped down in his chair. His eyes wondered down to the still almost full bottle of vodka and he paused for a moment to think.

"Bollocks," he finally said before he pushed aside the shot glass and went straight for the bottle.

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**I forced myself to listen to sad music the whole time I was writing this. Even so I don't think it really helped that much -shrug-  
Ivvvaaann I think you broke Mattiieeee. Make him better, I don't really like writing him saddd. (Though emotionally disturbed is another story.)  
The nickname 'bunny' comes from the pet bunny Arthur had when he was young, you know, the one that appears in the anime all the time? (at least I think he had a pet bunny I didn't really research it) So I thought it would be a cute pet name for when they were alone or something, cause all married couple have that sappy part to them or something. **

**Thank you **Leite Destiny, Taffe, Monochrome Cloud, Silvermoon of Forestclan, XxAlysxX, Luna-Discord, luthinuvielle, xxassassinxx18, koosei, fan girl 666, Ayla The Librarianx2(cause that was a total two in one review =D), cutegixie, Randomanime456, Yukai yamix2, Chocola Emo Shizzle, Lately, Axxi, IndulgedByTheRaven, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, Chibi-Foodly-Girl, Glimmyfrost7, TheFirstDarkblood, MistyLovesSesshomaru, HappeDaezx3, SabrinaScissorhands, Sakima Hebi, lilredd3394, AmfibiefiskenLarryx2, FrenchFryLovesYou, curlyfries **and **Blobers** for the reviews! Reviews = SO MUCH LOVE  
**

**Thank you for reading!**


	30. Making Mistakes

**Hey guys, Kitty29 here with a new chapter of Colours!  
First of all, sorry about the chapters becoming shorter and shorter, it's just that I have so many ideas for this but don't want to overwhelm you guys with so much in one chapter so I'm kind of spreading out the ideas over the different chapters. So they will probably start being a bit shorter from now on ^^;**

**Now that that's done with 30 CHAPTERS! WWWOOOOOOO! THAT IS JUST SO DOUBLE FUGDEY COATED AWESOME! Would _NOT _be able to do if without _any _of you guys! Lots of love!**

**Lastly, thank you **Luna-Discord **for the 600th review! (my god wtf that's a lot of reviews). Next one is 700! let's see if it will go!**

**Anyways, long author's note done, please enjoy!  


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**Letting out a tired sigh the young nurse continued to read through the thick textbook. Becoming a nurse was definitely a mistake. Although there was nothing wrong with the profession it just wasn't the right thing for her. There was something about taking orders from the higher ups, doing most of the work and not getting much recognition that wasn't exactly her idea of a career. It wasn't as if she wanted to stop helping people but it would be great if she could look at her bills each month and not feel as depressed as she did. Maybe she just lacked the compassion for this job.

Sighing again she forced herself to pay attention to the very boring medical book in front of her—seriously, reading the dictionary would probably be more fun. Though she knew that if she wanted to become a doctor she would probably need to have the terms memorized. Goodbye social life for the next four years.

"Studying again? You really need to relax on your break!"

The women looked up and smiled at the sight of her blond friend. "Tino! What are you doing here?"

The Finnish male smiled warmly back before he raised the cups and bag he had in hand. "I brought you some food. I know how hard you've been studying and I worry about how much you eat."

The women couldn't help but feel touched as the other took a seat next to her. "Aw, you're too good to me! But don't you have a shop to look after?"

Tino shrugged as he opened the bag and began to pull out the food inside. "I'm taking a break, like you should be doing. There's only so much I can do!"

"Well, okay _Mom," _she said jokingly before she took the offered sandwich and coffee. "Are these from the shop?"

"Mm-hmm, I made them myself. I hope you like it!"

"You know I'll eat anything you make, Mom."

Tino made a face, Before she said it as a joke but the second time it was as a nickname. He really didn't know how the nickname had started. All he knew was that one friend started calling him that and then another friends started until, even with his protests, it stuck. It was embarrassing to be called it in public but his friends were so stubborn that he could do nothing but accept it.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," the women started as she unwrapped her meal. "I met a guy~ he's _really _sweet _and_ he's studying to be a Doctor, just like me! I think you'll like him, Mom."

Tino eyebrow twitched at the name. Why did it have to be Mom, couldn't it have been Dad? Just because he was attracted to guys, liked cooking and cleaning and occasionally knitted did not make him any less of a man! "That's great! I'm really happy for you."

"Thank you," she said happily before she took a bite of the sandwich. She made a satisfied sound before she went on. "So when are you going to stop chasing after that mystery man and get a boyfriend?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Tino said almost instantly as he started to unwrap his food as well. "And why does everyone think I'm chasing after him? I'm not chasing after anyone! He's probably back in England anyway."

"Nuh-uh," she said, obviously not convinced. She took another bite of her sandwich but swallowed before she continued, "Then maybe you should stop telling that story to everyone you meet."

"It's a good story!" Tino countered with a small laugh before he bit into his sandwich as well. "When I meet a guy, I'll meet a guy. I'm not in any rush. I'm still young you know!"

The female just laughed before she went for her coffee. "You sound like an old lady."

Tino just huffed at her before correcting it to 'old _man'_ in his head. And what was she talking about? 'Chasing after that mystery man' for all he knew he could be a Englishman with a wife and two kids living in a house with a white picket fence. Besides, that happened when he was little. Whoever it was probably forgot that he had saved him from that double decker bus all those years ago. Why was he thinking so much about it anyway? Releasing a sigh through his nose he reached for his drink and took a good swig of caffeine.

"So remember, the next shift is in a few hours. Thanks so much for taking it for me!"

"N' pr'blem. I won't f'rget."

Tino nearly chocked on the hot beverage, thumping his chest in an attempt to clear his airway.

"Tino? Tino are you okay?" His friend asked in concern but he could barely hear it over the racing thoughts in his head. That strong accent. That voice. He had told himself he would never forget that voice and he didn't.

"_It's him,_" he gasped in a small voice like if he spoke any louder he would scare him away. She pulled a confused look but before she could ask what he was talking about he had abandoned his stuff and ran. The blond broke out of the break room before he ran down the hallway, his mind in a frenzy. He wasn't completely aware of his actions as he sped past doctors and patients alike to get to the entrance. All he knew was that he had to find the owner of that voice and from what he gathered he was leaving and then coming back again. His hunch was only conformed when he heard the voice again when he was nearing the entrance.

"G'odbye M'rk."

Gah! Why did this hospital have to have so many doctors! He couldn't tell which one that voice belonged to! Growing a bit frustrated, Tino pushed past the people to make it outside. He nearly bust the doors down to get out, looking around the area wildly. It took a few moments for his mind to tell his body that he had no idea exactly _who_ he was looking for and he simply stood there feeling extremely silly. Wow he um...He got a little too excited there. He wasn't even sure that the voice he heard was, well, _that_ voice. Suddenly aware of the looks he had gathered, he decided to go back to the friend that he oh so rudely abandoned.

So he turned to go back inside, only to bump into someone much larger than him. "O-Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't see you the—"

Though the word died on his throat when he looked at the mans face. Dear goodness! He didn't even know if the word _scary_ was _enough_ to describe it but it was certainly the first thing that popped into his head. It wasn't as if he was bad looking or anything it was just...That _look. _He looked like he was about to pull out a knife and just jab it into his throat. Tino suddenly found himself shaking under the man's gaze.

"I-I'm s-so s-sorry! I-I'll be s-sure to b-be m-more c-careful f-f-from n-now on!" Tino stuttered before he ran past him and back into the building. Berwald just watched him go, his shoulders sagging slightly. Why was it that nearly every new person he came across—especially shorter people, which was more then he wanted to admit—acted like that around him? Was it because he wasn't really a smiler?

"It's 'kay," he said to the long retreated figure before he turned around and continued walking.

/ / / \ \ \

Oh bleeding horse tits.

Arthur groaned when a strong ray of light reaching his eyes did nothing but further aggravate the pounding in his head. Ah, hell...Where was he?

Throwing the covers off him and forcing himself to sit up he found himself laying on the couch in his family room. Though not a huge trip from the kitchen he last remembered himself in he couldn't help but wonder how he got here. He had been drunk enough things to know what kind of drunk he was and the kind that managed to strip down into their underwear before grabbing a blanket and crashing on the couch he was not. So who put him here?

A piece of folded up paper placed on the coffee table in front of him suddenly caught his eye and he reached over and grabbed it. Hell it had his name on it, it had to be for him, right? Unfolding the paper and focusing his slightly blurred vision he read it's contents:

_Hey Dad, great call getting drunk and leaving me with Mattie all last night. Isn't it ur job 2 make depressed teenagers feel better or something? Ur parenting skills sux! -150 parenting xp! U owe me and Matt! -the amazing Hero Alfred_

_P.S Matt and I r gonna be late cause we got come emergency ability meeting after school or something, k bye. _

Rereading the letter again Arthur moaned and lay back down. Oh balls, don't tell him it was _Alfred_ that did all this. Goddammit...Why didn't Francis just cut him off when his words started to slur like he told him?

...

Fucking hell.

Pushing himself up again he swung his legs over the couch as his mind slowly replayed the events of the previous night. Matthew had gone off the deep end, Alfred took him away, Francis broke out the alcohol, he told him his ability, they fought, Francis...Francis was mad at him.

Francis was mad at him.

Francis _hated _him.

Absentmindedly twiddling with his wedding ring he pushed himself to his feet and headed to the place where it all happened. Hangovers were just an intense form of dehydration which meant that after he drank a litre of water and downed a few pills he would be as right as rain. Cracking open the fridge he grabbed the first bottle of water he saw, which happened to be Francis'. The Frenchman had taken to waking up early and taking a jog before he had to go into the restaurant meaning they now always had water bottles stacked up in their fridge. Arthur recalled hearing someone say that no one looked good in running shorts but Francis had great legs. He swore he could probably look good in any outfit.

"I miss the wine bastard already..." Arthur decided to say aloud with a depressing sigh before he unscrewed the bottle and took a mighty swig.

"I find coffee works better."

In his surprise Arthur spat out his drink in a fashion that he thought only happened on television. Coughing, Arthur turned to find Francis standing in front of their coffee machine, quite focused on his task of preparing the brew.

"_Francis!"_ Arthur exclaimed, too awed by the others presence to care about his headache. "You're back!"

"Do not think I came back for you," Francis retorted as he finished up his preparations and flicked the switch in the on position. "I came back for the kids. They are having a hard enough time to have to deal with us fighting."

Arthur just stared at him dumbly, not in the right state to be thinking. "...So does that mean I'm forgiven?"

Francis released a sigh through his nose. Though he was done with his task he still opted to looking down at the coffee machine than his husband. "Arthur I...I still need some time."

"You had last night."

"_More_ time. Arthur." Francis released another sigh to try and control the sudden annoyance he felt. Silence fell upon the two, awkward and tense. Arthur felt obliged to break it.

"Where did you go last night?"

Francis twisted his body so that it was facing the Brit and crossed his arms, though his gaze was still off to the side somewhere. "I slept with a friend."

Arthur nodded, a bit relieved. He knew that Francis didn't have any family here and didn't want him sleeping in some alley somewhere (though knowing Francis, he probably wouldn't do that no matter how drunk he was). "That's good."

This time, Francis didn't allow silence to come over them as he began to make his way out of the kitchen. "Well, I should be going."

Arthur watched him go, only half absorbing what was going on. "Going? Why?"

At this, Francis finally looked at him though he didn't stop walking. "The kids are at school, Arthur. There's no reason why I should be here." He was out of the kitchen now but he was still talking. "Clean up your stuff in the family room and breakfast is on the stove."

"Francis, wait!" Arthur called out, ignoring the pain in his head. Francis stopped walking and Arthur easily caught up to him. He stopped a few feet away from him. He wanted to be closer, he _yearned _to be closer. Despite him not caring for displays of affection, whether it was in public or private, the one thing he wanted to do was pull the other close and apologize for every wrong doing he's ever done and beg for forgiveness, no matter how insignificant it was. Maybe he still had some alcohol in his system that was influencing his thoughts, maybe it was this hangover that was blocking proper thought but he didn't care. That's what he wanted to do but he didn't do it. Francis was already mad at him, he didn't want him to dislike him further. Since he was unable to show it the only thing Arthur could think of saying was, "I love you."

Francis stiffened at how those words sounded almost...Desperate. Dieu, couldn't Arthur listen when he said he needed time? He couldn't just say 'I love you' back and act like nothing happened. So, not looking at his husband, he quietly replied with something else, "Moi aussi." Before he walked towards the door again. Though those words weren't what he wanted to leave on. Those words weren't what he needed to leave on. He came here for a reason more important than putting his drunk husband to bed and making his kids breakfast.

"Everyone makes mistakes." Is what he chose to say before he left the house, leaving the British man alone once again.

/ / /five hours earlier\ \ \

Francis woke up groggily as a dull ache formed in his skull thanks to the alcohol from the night before. He had to say he was a little embarrassed at having a hangover at all. He knew he was a bit of a wuss when it came to the strong stuff but even so he only had three shots. But wait, didn't he also share a glass or two of wine with his friend? Yes...Yes that sounded about right. Yawning, the blond tried to recall the events of the night before.

Well, he remembered his fight with Arthur, that was still rather vivid in his mind. He had stormed out and, like he promised, took the bus. He wasn't sure what bus he took or even if he had a destination in mind. He just wanted to get as far away from the house as possible. That's when he ran into Colette Bunton, his co-worker, or rather underling, at the restaurant. The original plan was just to say hello and then leave before anything happened, but that's not how it worked. She somehow managed to get the fight with Arthur out of him and insisted that he spend the night at her place. He was grateful for the offer so he accepted and followed the red head back to her apartment. It was there that she poured them some wine and they talked. He was surprised to find that they had quite a bit in common. Though they saw each other all the time at work the only thing they really talked about was food or her becoming his apprentice. He wished he could say that's were it stopped, that they talked away into the long hours of the night before he realized he needed to go back home to make breakfast for his kids. But it wasn't.

Colette then told him the real reason why she wanted to become his apprentice. It wasn't just because she admired his cooking, it was also because she admired _him_. Apparently she's admired him for a while. His mind started to buzz and then...

Francis turned to see Colette still dreaming contently beside him, as equally naked as he was.

"Fuck."

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**Translations:  
Dieu – French for God  
Mon Aussi – French for Me too, essentially**

**Thanks bombayxprodigy for the idea of making Francis do something he's gonna regret lol. (She's gonna hate me, she told me not to do it xD)**

**Thank you **SchemingAlchemist, Lately, cutegixie, Randomanime456, TheFirstDarkblood, Silvermoon of Forestclan, Chocola Emo Shizzle, Axxi, ForeverTheHeroAndKing, Luna-Discord, FrenchFryLovesYou, Her Diary, Ayla The Librarian, MistyLovesSesshomaru, Naruta13, MatthewKirklandWilliams, XxAlysxX, Leite Destiny, Sakima Hebi, ThisIsMyCliche, fan girl 666, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, xxassassinxx18, Keroanne, DeathDeparture **and **Monochrome Cloud **for the reviews!**

**Thank you for reading! **


	31. Ox

**Hey guys! Kitty29 here with a new chapter!  
I love how right after I say the chapters might be shorter I come out with this longish one. Haaa...  
**

**Anyway, brief announcement before you go on. Remember that story I said I was thinking of posting about**** random things that happen in the Colours universe but have no place in the main storyline? No? Well, it's up now lol. So after this chapter or whatever go check it out! It's called **Hues and Shades **like the hues and shades of colours...I thought it was a good title...  
Anyway, from now on whenever I update that story I'll notify it in this one. Well, if I have a chapter ready I mean. So, by about the time I post this one I should have the first chapter of the Arthur Francis story up on the other one. I have it written I just have to post it. So...check it out!  
**

**Lastly, the character of Malaysia or Raiman belongs to **ArisaLyeanna** not me.****  
And that's all. Please enjoy!  


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**It's been theorized that people in a coma can hear when they were talked to and that it helped to improve their condition. Ludwig wasn't sure if he believed it or not but even if he did he had no idea what he would say. He never did in these situations.

With a small grimace of pain he lowered himself into the chair next to the sleeping Italian. Though his wound had not been fatal and he had some time to rest and allow it to heal it still hurt when he moved—though this was an improvement from hurting when he breathed. Well, he knew for sure that it was definitely wasn't hurting as much as it should have, seeing Feliciano had apparently took off some of the wound onto himself. He just hoped that Feliciano wasn't going through the pain that he had. Could people in a coma feel pain? Could they even feel anything?

Releasing a sigh Ludwig reached over and brushed away some hair that had fallen onto the younger male's face. He couldn't recall a time when he had see the Italian so still. It unnerved him. Feliciano shouldn't be like this. Feliciano should be fussing about everyone's injures and making them all pasta. Feliciano should be there with his bright smile when everything seemed so wrong. Feliciano should be...Awake.

The German reached down and pulled the Italians smaller hand into his own, gently running his thumb over the slant fingers. He wasn't big on talking, he just didn't know what to say all the time. Not like his older brother—though most of the stuff he said was really better left not heard. Even if he did talk now the only things he was sure he'd do was apologize profusely. Say things that he was sure would make the auburn haired male mad at him should he hear it. Now, the faint beeping of the heart monitor filling the small room was all he needed.

But even so there was one thing that he thought he should say, whether or not the younger boy could hear him. The reason why he was here in the first place.

"Feliciano, we'll get you out of this. I promise."

/ / / \ \ \

"I think Feliciano's coma was caused by his ability."

Those who knew Yao knew that he wasn't one to beat around the bush but even so the last person had barely even sat down before he dropped that bomb on them. The seven days they had given the Italian to recover was almost up and he had called an emergency meeting to take place at the club. It was a bit strange to see so many packed into the space and also the members of the warehouse group—Toris, Ivan, Elizabeta and Roderich—standing there so causally. But now was not really the time for observations.

"'Caused by his ability?'" Michelle repeated, her eyes widening in mild horror. "Are you saying that using our abilities could put up in _a coma?"_

"No, no, no! That's just silly!" Bella assured with a small smile. "No, Chelles. It's _not_ using your ability that's more dangerous."

Gilbert raised his hand mockingly but didn't wait for anyone to call him on it. "Yeah, I'm the frinkin' awesome prince of information and even I'm lost."

"That's because you need to have some patience, comrade," Ivan said with his creepy smile. "I am sure Yao will get to it."

Yao took that as his cue to start explaining and opened his mouth to do so but was interrupted by an annoyed Gilbert. "Don't tell me what to do! And I'm not your fucking comrade!"

"_Gilbert!" _Elizabeta scolded from beside him. "Don't swear!"

"I can swear all I want! Fuck ass shit! The only baby here I see is Michelle!"

Michelle glared at the Prussian and she stood up, which was Kaoru's cue to grab onto her dress so that she could pretend to fight against it. "_I'm not a baby!"_

From there what could only be described as chaos broke out among the many people present. All yelling at each other for stupid reasons, not paying attention when Yao and Bella tried to get back order. This continued for a while until someone slammed their fists against the table before yelling,

"_EVERYONE JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!"_

Everyone ceased in their fighting to look at the owner of the voice and were shocked to find it was Matthew. Quiet little Matthew, the guy that half the people in the room forgot existed because he was so meek but not now. Now Matthew as glaring at seemingly everyone in the room above his glasses, his hands wrapped into fists so tight that they had turned almost completely white.

"Yao might have found a way for us to wake up Feliciano and you're all acting like spoiled brats! If you aren't serious about getting Feliciano out of his coma then you might as well _leave!" _Matthew pointed at the door and glared at each person in the room, his heavy breathing only making him seem mad as he waited for _anyone_ to speak against him. No one did.

After a bit of no one moving, Alfred, who was sitting next to his brother, reached up and placed a hand on Matthew's forearm. "Uh, Mattie? I think they get it."

The Canadian lowered his gaze to the table in front of him before he shrugged his brother off him, trying to relax his hands. "Don't touch me," He said softly though it was so quiet that everyone heard it. He removed his glasses and brought his right hand up to rub his face, suddenly feeling exhausted.

"...Hey Birdie, you okay?"

Matthew looked up at the albino, his previous angered glare replaced by a blank look, his eyes heavy and lifeless. No, he wasn't okay. He had been through more shit in those past two weeks than he would wish on his worst enemy. And it wasn't just the stuff that was happening to him, it was the stuff that was happening around him too. He hated that Alfred actually looked happy just to be truly himself at school after some event that revealed his sexual orientation—though he had no idea what that something was—and Alfred was trying to hide that from him just because he was going through stuff. Plus his parents...Don't even get him started on his parents. They were worst than him when it came to secrets, especially about them fighting. Choosing not to answer the red eyed male Matthew just sat back down and waited for the meeting to continue.

Yao found this as his second cue. "Can I talk now, aru?" People nodded, he went on. "I believe Feliciano was already in a coma even before the ambulance came. If my logic is right, the shock of registering someone for the first time while in the middle of his awakening was so great that it caused his body to shut down."

"So he went into a coma so that he could save himself?" Elizabeta questioned, her head bowed as she thought it over. "It's a good theory but do you have evidence?"

"The guy who drove the ambulance that night conformed that he never woke up," Gilbert reported.

"I watched Feliciano until the ambulance came," Matthew reported as well, his jaw set as he focused on moving along the meeting and not on the fact that it was his registering of the Italian that got them in this mess to began with. "He didn't wake up."

The room took on silence as people let the information sink in.

"So if abilities got him in this coma..." Lovino began, his brow ceased as he thought. "Then does this mean he can't wake up normally? That only using abilities is what will get him out?"

Yao looked like he wanted to answer it, but there was something hanging in the air that was stopping him. "Before I get to that there's one more important thing to address, aru," He waited until he was sure he had everyone's attention before he spoke. "I think that whole event was foreseen by an oracle."

Nearly everyone turned to Feliks at that, who waved his hands in front of his face to deny it. "Nuh-uh! Don't look at me! I was, like, totally crashed out at Toris' place when it happened."

Alfred felt left out. "What's an oracle?" He decided to ask.

"We call people who have abilities that can help guide people through their future oracles," Toris explained. "Feliks is an oracle because he can see the future in scenes."

"Yeah that's, like, what I do," Feliks said with a small sigh. "But I didn't see this one. I would have totally dished if I saw Luddy being shot."

"Then who did?" Alfred asked and everyone turned back to Yao for an explanation. Though it wasn't the Asian who answered.

"The scary guy who came to help us," Matthew breathed, putting the pieces together. "He has an ability too?"

Yao nodded and ignored the confused looks from the people in the room as he answered the question. "I think so, aru. He put on gloves specially before touching Feliciano which would mean he knew that registering him would only harm him further. He wouldn't have knew that unless he foresaw the event."

Michelle made a face as she tried to keep up with the logic. "Are you sure he just didn't wanna get blood on his hands?"

"Maybe, aru. But even so we need to talk to him before we try anything with Feliciano. Matthew, Raiman can you go back to the hospital and try to find him?"

The blond and the quiet Asian both looked up at their names and then to each other.

"Okay," Raiman agreed for the both of them before he he began to pack up his stuff. "Are we done now?"

Lovino narrowed his eyes. "We can't be done, dammit! You still need to answer my question!"

"We'll cover it after we talk to the oracle," Yao said simply before he called the end of the meeting. One by one the people began to filter out, most of them feeling more confused than when they came. Matthew, closely followed by Alfred, walked up to Raiman.

"So when do you want to go?" Matthew asked. Raiman shrugged before he swung his backpack over his shoulder.

"I can go now if you're free."

Matthew looked to Alfred, who nodded. "Yeah! Lets go find some oracles!"

"Hey, guys," Gilbert said, smoothly sliding up to the three other males. "Mind if I tag along? I gotta go visit my bruder anyway."

Alfred narrowed his eyes at the other but he decided not to say anything. Though he hated to admit it he knew that Matthew liked Gilbert—hopefully as a friend and not anything more—and if the albino could make his twin feel better than he would suffer through his presence for a while.

Raiman shrugged. "Well okay, lets go."

The four began to make their way out of the building, Gilbert for some reason leading the way. Alfred and Matthew were the last ones out though a heavy hand resting on the Canadian's shoulder stopped him in his tracks.

"Do you mind if I borrow Matvey for a while?"

The twins looked up at the Russian who was looking in-between them with interest. "You two look the same."

Alfred rose an eyebrow at him. "Uh, yeah. We are identical twins." The American turned to his brother. "This is Ivan?"

Matthew nodded and Alfred gave the larger man another look over. "Okay, I'll see you outside." Alfred turned and walked out of the building, leaving the two alone in the very office looking sitting room.

"Um, hello Ivan," Matthew said awkwardly after a few moments of silence. "What did you want to talk about?"

Ivan opted to staring at him for a bit before he spoke. "You are broken."

Matthew blinked at him. "What?"

"You are broken, Matvey. It's kind of cute, really. You pushing yourself so hard just for me."

Matthew just continued to stare at him blankly. "I don't understand."

Ivan laughed, amused. "Matvey! I don't think you really understand me either! I don't want you to break yourself further just to prove your loyally to me!"

Matthew still looked confused, thankfully the Russian wasn't done. "When I said you have to control your emotions and stop relaying on others I didn't mean you had to do it right then and there! I don't want you stressed Matvey!" He reached up and ran a hand through the others hair, laughing again when Matthew flinched and pushed his hand away. "I need you to feel, I need you to reply on others. It's the only way you'll get fixed, and you need to get better so that we can play more!"

Matthew stared at him. Though they didn't know each other for long he was used to the strange way Ivan worded things. "I...I don't want my ability to lash out at anyone."

"You are not going to hurt anyone."

It wasn't a assurance. It was a fact. Ivan took on a serious look when he spoke next. "No one is going to try and hurt you. No one is going to do anything that will heighten your emotions like it did with Makar. Plus, you are my student, da? No student of mine is going to lose control."

Matthew shouldn't have felt the way he did from those simple words but it was a rare thing to see Ivan serious. The pale blond stepped back and opened his arms. "Hug?" He half asked half demanded.

The Canadian paused, feeling rather uncomfortable with the request. Though he knew that Ivan wouldn't back down, so he hesitantly walked into the open arms. He released a small squeak when he felt the larger arms wrap around him and pull him closer into his body. It was actually kind of scary, like he was being trapped in the friendly gesture of a bear.

"So no more breaking yourself! At least not until you're fixed. It's too much fun to watch for you to stop."

Okay that was creepy and this hug was definitely becoming uncomfortable fast. Matthew started to wiggle about awkwardly, hoping that Ivan would get the hint. Thankfully, he did and a moment later he freed the other from his grasp.

"Well, o-okay. Is that everything?" Matthew asked, his eyes flickering over to the buildings entrance. Ivan nodded before he bid his farewell to the blond and walking back into the room where they had the previous meeting. Matthew stayed in his place for a while, a bit confused about what had just happened. Then, with his mind still elsewhere, he walked out into the parking lot.

Gilbert was the first to notice he was there, as Raiman was preoccupied with his black notebook and Alfred was further away talking to someone on his cellphone. The Prussian turned and smirked at him. "Hey Matt, we good to go?"

Matthew just stared at him, Ivan's words fresh in his mind:

_I need you to feel, I need you to reply on others._

Gilbert let out a small nervous laugh, feeling a little unnerved under his stare. "Uh, you okay?"

Matthew said nothing. Instead he walked forward and wrapped his arms around the red eyed male, burying his face in the others neck.

Gilbert raised his hands up awkwardly and stiffened, not knowing what to do. Because of his ability he wasn't used to such spontaneous displays of physical contact. Usually when people found out about his ability they kind of steered away from him. "Uh, Matt? What are you doi—"

"Just hug me back."

The Prussian blinked. Well, the Canadian was being a lot more...Forceful than normal, might as well give him what he wants. Gilbert forced himself to relax before he also wrapped his arms around the blond, easily pulling him closer.

Alfred watched from further away, slamming his cellphone shut with a bit too much force.

/ / / \ \ \

Francis was the one who picked them up and drove them to the hospital, as today was his day off work and Alfred was having trouble reaching Arthur for some reason. They reached the hospital and as they were walking towards it Alfred decided to ask a question that's been bugging him for a while.

"So why did Yao want you two to search for the guy?"

Gilbert laughed. "Bit slow there aren't ya?" He taunted and both blond twins sent him a look.

"It's because I know what the oracle looks like," Matthew explained. "And Raiman...um..." He turned to look at his friend. "Why did Yao want you to come?"

Raiman looked up at them and blinked, adjusting his slipping glasses. "Hm? Oh, it's because I might be able to tell if he has an ability or not."

Alfred looked impressed. "You can do that?"

The dark brunette smirked at that, a bit of pride showing on his face. "Everyone's flower betrays them eventually."

They reached the entrance to the building and the five of them stepped inside. Francis said he would be in the waiting room, waiting for them to finish up before he went to do just that. Gilbert left them as well to go visit his brother but not before Matthew gave him a description of the guy they were looking for. It was then that their mission of finding the oracle was underway. At first they all went searching together but after realizing how large the building was Raiman volunteered to break away and search on his own. They agreed and they went their separate ways.

Matthew glanced over at his twin. They had been looking around together for probably an hour now and most of that time had been spent in silence. This wasn't right. Matthew may not have known Alfred for his whole life like he should have but he knew him well enough to know that he should be raving about how cool it is that people can see into the future and how he wished he had that ability or something. So far, nothing. Now Matthew wasn't really much of a talker but he figured he should at least try and fine out what was wrong with him.

"Is something wrong, Al?"

"I don't know why don't you ask your albino freak of a boyfriend?"

That was so like Alfred. No subtlety or making him guess at what the problem was. He just laid it all out on the table with no explanation and forced you to quickly understand.

Matthew supposed that he should have been left embarrassed or surprised but he only felt annoyance. "It was just a hug Alfred, you don't have to be so harsh."

Alfred stopped walking and Matthew was forced to do the same. The younger blond looked back and flinched at the glare directed at him. "_Just a hug? _Yeah, you hug the guy who can learn all your secrets from just a poke and yet you tell me, your own frinkin' _twin brother_, _not _to _touch you_!"

His voice was growing louder as he went on, gaining a few looks from passing doctors and patients. Matthew was trying to calm him down, as they weren't even supposed to be wondering around like they were. But Alfred pointingly ignored him as he went on.

"Was he the one who stayed with you all last night so that you wouldn't see our Dad passed out downstairs? No! Was he the one who sabotaged his image just so _you_ wouldn't have to deal with unnecessary stress? _No! _I do more things for you than that bastard _ever_ will! And yet you trust _that guy _over _me? _That's _bullshit_ Matt. Pure _Bulls—_"

The reassuring smack of skin against skin echoed throughout the hallway and a couple of people actually stopped to look at the scene. Alfred reached up and touched his stinging cheek, his eyes wide and disbelieving. He turned back to Matthew, who was looking as shocked as he was, his body still twisted from the aftermath of the blow.

"Is there something wrong here?"

Both blonds looked up at the unamused doctor. Alfred opened his mouth to say something but a faint beeping from his pants pocket brought him from his thoughts. He pulled out his phone and flipped it open to read the text.

"It's Papa," he said simply before he put his phone back in his pocket and walked past the people. Matthew followed a little later, guessing that his father wanted both of them. The walk there was quick and silent, each wanting to get there as soon as they could.

Francis looked up and smiled when he saw the two enter the room. "Bonjour," he greeted as he stood and walked over to his sons to meet them halfway.

"What's up?" Alfred asked, but it certainly didn't hold the usual cheerfulness that it normally had. Francis didn't notice.

"I just wanted to reintroduce you to an old friend," he turned to the person he was talking about and Matthew let out a small gasp. "Mathieu, Alfred, this is Berwald Oxenstierna."

Matthew simply stared. Him. It was him. The so called oracle that they were looking for.

Alfred looked up at the blond haired man and flinched at his rather scary face. But even so...Why did the guy feel so familiar? "Uh, do I know you?"

Berwald let out a small grunt that could have been passed for a laugh and his face softened slightly. "I kneh ya' wh'n ya' w're th's small." He gestured to about mid way up his thigh but Alfred just continued to stare at him. Yeah, he got maybe half of that.

Francis, seeing their confusion, decided to try and help out. "You might know him better as 'Mr. Ox.'"

The memory hit Matthew so hard that he actually took a step back to study himself. "U-Uncle Ox..." he breathed. No way. This was too much of a coincidence. He couldn't be here at this...But he was the one who...This was just so...

No way.

* * *

**I try to write Su-san talk the way I imagine it would sound in real life so sorry if it's hard to understand in future chapters.  
...Or if it comes out sounding redneck...**

**Thank you **Leite Destiny, natcat5, ThisIsMyCliche, xxassassinxx18, XxAlysxX, Ayla The Librarian, Silvermoon of Forestclan, Miss T Hyuga, niyoniyo, SesshomaruLovesMisty, luthinuvielle, LoliPear the WaltzQueen, Cruz-Hime, Randomanime456, Yukai Yami, MatthewKirklandWilliams, WinterClover, fan girl 666, Naruta13, Chocola Emo Shizzle, SchemingAlchemist, Axxi, HerDiary, Sakima Hebi, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, EmoLollipop, fireykaigurl **and **XxTehSparklepirexX** for the reviews!**

**Thank you for reading!**


	32. Making Plans

**Hey guys! Kitty29 here with a new chapter of Colours! Oh Yeah!  
Remind me to never again write a scene with sixteen characters in it my god (it's not like they're all mentioned but it was a bitch trying to keep track of them all). Still probably going to do it later though aaahhhhhhh...**

**Special thanks to **AmfibiefiskenLarry **with the help with the Su-san speech. I think I'm getting the hang of iiitttta'. (Expect for the giggle that escapes me every time I image Berwald call Alfred 'El'red'. I didn't put that in there but it still makes me laugh.) **

**I know my next milestone is 700 but thank you **Naruta13 **for my 666th review! C'mon, when can I ever say I had 666 reviews in a story? Probably not for a while if ever again lol.**

**Anyways, please enjoy!  


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**Everyone found themselves staring at the large hulk of a man as he sat at the table, his large presence making the room seem smaller. Though nearly everyone in the room was intimated by the man they couldn't help but look at him. No one would admit it they all kind of had this idea that as soon as this man showed up they would come up with some perfect plan to wake up Feliciano. Though even with that in mind none of them could bring themselves to sit next to the intimating man. The only ones seemed willing were Alfred and Matthew and they each sat on either side of him, not looking very happy about it. Then again, they didn't really look very happy about anything. Berwald, beginning to feel rather uncomfortable with all the eyes on him, decided to break the silence.

"Hello."

Everyone murmured greetings back before the room regained it's former quiet. Bella, thinking that this was starting to get a little ridiculous, decided to start the meeting. "So, erm, Berwald." She lost some of her resolve when he turned to look at her. "Um, you were the first one on the scene when Ludwig was shot, right?"

"Yes." Was his curt reply.

Silence.

Bella tried to keep it going. "Did you know beforehand that that was going to happen?"

Berwald nodded. "Yes. I saw it."

Everyone peeked up at that. "So you _are_ an oracle." Michelle stated. The large blond turned to her and she moved to hide herself behind Kaoru.

"Or'cle?" He questioned, confused. "Thought women w're or'cles."

"Not that oracle, aru," Yao said, finally deciding to speak. "You do know that they're people with abilities, right?"

Berwald nodded before he turned to the Canadian beside him. "Matt'ew has one."

Matthew nodded, though he was looking elsewhere with his arms crossed. "Yeah. Everyone here has an ability except for Alfred."

Lilly was about to speak up and say that she and Kiku didn't have one either, but Vash silenced her.

Alfred was also looking away with his arms crossed. "Screw you, asshole."

Matthew mumbled something in french and Alfred was on his feet and glaring at the twin. "_You take that back!"_

The Canadian was on his feet now as well. "_Make me!"_

They tried lunging at each other from over the Swede but the larger man grabbed them by the back of the shirts and easily tugged them back into their chairs. "_Behav'," _he demanded, making sure the two weren't going to try to attack each other again before he let go.

"Uh, right," Yao said, quickly trying to stop the awkward silence he was sure would follow if no one said anything. "So you saw it happen? How, aru?"

At this Berwald seemed to look a bit uncomfortable. "I...hum..." He crossed his arms and looked down at the table in front of him. "Dre'm. I saw it in a dre'm."

Bella seemed interested, and she raised a hand to her chin in a thinking matter. "A dream seeker? I didn't think there were any in this country."

Ignoring the woman's observation, Yao continued with his questions. "Is that why you used gloves to avoid registering Feliciano?"

Berwald was feeling more and more confused as the meeting went on. Oracle? Dream seeker? Register? What was with all this mambo jumbo they were throwing at him? Nevertheless he tried to answer the question the best he could. "In the dre'm I touched 'im an' he...Disappea'ed." He didn't notice the horrified looks as he continued. "When I wo'e gloves he was f'ne. So I w're gloves."

"So you saw everything happen in a dream?" Elizabeta asked, continuing when she got a nod from the man. "Why didn't you tell the police it was going to happen?"

Berwald took on a troubled look. "Wouldn't beli've meh. N'one would. I went 'cause I thought I could h'lp."

"Why did you think you could help?" Raiman asked from the other side of the room, not realizing how rude it sounded until after it left his lips.

Berwald looked at the teen and stated, very bluntly. "'M a nurse."

Silence took on the room once more, but this quiet was different from the others. This silence was eerie, almost incredulous. It lasted for several moments, only broken when a small snicker escaped from Gilbert's mouth, which he quickly covered. From there several other people began to cover up their smiles as well. They couldn't help it. More than half of the room had just imaged the large man in an old fashion nurse outfit and it was rather funny.

Yao, however, didn't hide his smile but it was for a different reason. "That's perfect, aru!" He looked to the back of the room. "Ravis, was the weather report correct for tomorrow?"

Ravis blinked at the sudden excitement in the others voice. "W-Well," his brow ceased as he focused. "It's wrong. It'll rain for an two hours and twenty seven minutes and then dazzle for the rest of the day. No thunderstorms."

"Have you come up with a way to wake Feliciano?" Roderich asked and the Asian nodded.

"If I'm right, Feliciano will be awake by tomorrow." He turned to Bella and mentioned her over as excited mummers were heard around the room. "The meetings over while I make plans, aru!"

/ / / \ \ \

Matthew released a sigh as he sat in the very office looking sitting room. Nearly everyone had left almost as soon as the Chinese man said they could, but he and Alfred stayed behind. It wasn't really like they were there by choice, seeing as they were driven there by Berwald and he was currently still in the room with Yao and Bella discussing whatever. So really, trapped would be more like it. He felt someone sit beside him on the surprisingly comfy couch and a moment later a voice joined it.

"So what's up with you and your brother? You guys looked about to rip each others throats out."

The Canadian turned to see Gilbert waiting for an answer. He sighed again before he looked away. "We...We got into a fight right after we find Uncle Ox. I...I think this is the biggest fight we've ever had..."

He was kind of hoping that the Prussian would reassure him. Tell him that he had fights with Ludwig all the time but they were always fine in the end. That everything was going to be okay.

"Wait, hold up. _Uncle Ox?_ You mean the far from hot nurse next door?"

Maybe he had hoped for too much.

Matthew placed his elbow on the armrest and rested his fist under his chin, pointingly looking away from the Prussian. "Yeah but he's not really my uncle. He's an old family friend."

Gilbert blinked before he leaned forward so that he could see the the Canadian's face. "You mean your Dad's friend?"

Matthew shook his head. "No, not my Dad." He seemed to pause in thought before he looked back at Gilbert, a small sad smile on his face. "My Mom."

Gilbert may not have dated a lot of people but he's touched his fair share of people who have. It was safe to say he knew relationships. Though even with all that information in his head he didn't know how the hell he should proceed with Matthew. Should he ask him more about his Mom? Drop it? Should he...Comfort him? Wait, why was he thinking of this as a relationship? It wasn't like they were going out! But that's what he wanted, right? To call Matthew his boyfriend? Well geez, sure he pitched for both teams but even so that was pretty gay. He didn't even let Feliks call him his boyfriend when they went out—though he did it anyway, something about him being cute when he was shy. Cross dressing weirdo.

Back to the important stuff, what should he do? All he knew was that he had touched Matthew dozens of times, hell he had his freakin' fingers in his mouth and yet not once did he ever get any information about the Canadian's mother. It must have been a touchy subject and yet he was sharing it with him. What should he do? Why was he thinking about it so much? Why was he thinking so much about it _now?_

Matthew tilted head at the suddenly silent Prussian before he snapped his fingers in front of him. "Gil? Gilbert? You there?"

Gilbert snapped out of his daze and looked at the Canadian. "Huh? Oh, uh..." Screw thinking Gilbert, just do whatever the hell you feel like. When has that failed him?

He leaned back and swung his arm behind Matthew, resting it on the couch behind him. It was an open invitation, should he want it. If not, he would just look like he was trying to get more comfortable. Why the hell was he still thinking so much into this? "You know, I've never heard you talk about your Mom."

Matthew opened his mouth to say something but paused, opting to look down at his hands for a bit. He turned his body so that he was facing Gilbert and leaned back into his arm. "That's because I don't really remember her. She left me and my Papa when I was little."

"What about Alfred?"

His eyes glazed over as he thought back on the memory. His answer was bitter and blunt. "She took him."

The room took on silence as Gilbert desperately searched for something to say. He was glad that the Canadian was sharing this with him but even so, what does a guy say to that obviously painful memory? Should he even say anything? Almost hesitantly Gilbert placed a leather clad hand on the others shoulder and tried rubbing it in a soothing matter. Apparently this was the right thing to do.

Matthew twisted his body towards the Prussian even more before he rested his head on the others chest, releasing a small sigh. They stayed that way for a while in silence, not noticing someone enter the building until he spoke.

"Matt, Dad said—" Alfred stopped mid sentence when he saw the scene and Matthew ripped himself away from Gilbert to look at his brother.

"Alfred I—" But it was useless, as the twin had already left. Matthew released a heavy sigh before he leaned back onto Gilbert, allowing the other to wrap his arms around his stomach.

"By the way, what did you say to him back at the meeting? That French thing. I'm surprised the idiot even knows a different language."

"He doesn't," Matthew clarified. "But...He always knows when I'm making fun of his phobia..."

Gilbert made a noise of understanding in his throat. "You mean the balloon thing?"

There was a small pause before Matthew nodded. He supposed everyone in school knew about it by now. If not from the most recent event with the balloon in his locker than definitely from the dance they went to last year. Alfred's date was not impressed that night. "Yeah. The balloon thing."

They stayed in brief silence before Gilbert felt the need to ask one more question. "What did you two fight about anyway?"

Matthew didn't answer at first, instead allowing himself to stay in the Prussian's warmth for just a while longer. Then, unwillingly, he reached down and uncurled the arms around him. "You," he answered before he pushed himself on his feet and followed after his brother.

Gilbert just watched him go, his eyes a bit wide at the confession. They were fighting about _him_? Wait, didn't Matthew say that this was the biggest fight they had ever gotten in? Over him? Did this mean that Matthew's view of him was the opposite of his twin? Who he was sure hated him. But wouldn't that mean...

Gilbert couldn't help the smile that came on his face as he pumped his fist in victory, despite Matthew's plight. Hells yeah, this was good. The Canadian was going through far too much shit for him to make a move but it was a foot in the door. For now, that was all he needed.

It didn't take long for Matthew to spot Alfred, seeing as the parking lot was basically empty. He was leaning over the railing that lined it, his face turned away from the younger blond. Matthew made his way over and when he was within hearing distance he heard Alfred say,

"Unless you're here to apologize I don't give a shit."

Truthfully Matthew didn't know why he was there. He didn't do anything wrong. Well, okay he slapped him but he already tried to apologize for that but Alfred wouldn't have anything of it. He stopped a few feet away from him. "I don't know what I'm supposed to apologize for." This time he wasn't going to be the one that felt guilty because Alfred was mad at him and change his ways to suit him. Not over this.

"Then go away!" Alfred called, still not looking at him. Matthew didn't move.

"You're acting like a kid!" He called out, anger raising in his chest. "I'm not going to say sorry for making a friend."

Alfred kept his hands on the railing as he pulled away from it, lowering his head between his arms and releasing a sick laugh. Matthew ached an eyebrow and unconsciously took a step back. That laugh wasn't like Alfred. It was hollow and joyless and yet, held some kind of sick amusement. Matthew tried looking at his colours but they were being far too erratic for him to guess at what his twin was feeling.

"You think I'm mad because you made a _friend?_" He asked incredulously and it was now that he turned toward his sibling, his anger obviously masking some other emotion. He walked until he was right up in the others face and Matthew didn't back down. "I'm _mad_ because _I'M the only one who can be your hero!"_ Then he walked past Matthew, making sure to bump into his shoulder as he went.

Matthew wanted to say he was surprised but a part of him had seen it coming. He also wished he could say he was flattered by how much Alfred cared for him but it only served to make him more angry. He couldn't believe just how self centred he was being, _especially_ now! He had a freakin'_ cast_, he witnessed one of his friends getting _shot_ and he put his other friend in a_ coma_! For _once_ in his life couldn't this be about _him?_

But even so, the only thing he could think of calling was, "Where are you going?"

Alfred turned to look at him but continued walking backwards as he answered. "Dad called. Said that he could come pick us up if we wanted but you know what? I'll take the bus, so that you can spend more time with your boyfriend!" He then turned and continued walking, showing that he was done.

Matthew refused to let him have the last word. "Fine! Fine! Maybe I will! Maybe I will spend more time with my boyfriend!" He called, his voice creaking near the end. God_dammit!_ He knew that he had been through a lot and that he was a teenager going through puberty but he would rather jerk off five times a day than feel the need to cry as often as he did.

Swallowing back the lump in his throat he turned and stormed back towards the building. Even if he didn't do anything he still felt these unnecessary feelings. Damn emotions only served to complicate things. To bad he couldn't use his ability on himself.

He froze mid step. Wait. Who's to say he _couldn't_ use his ability on himself? He's never tried. Mirror. He needed a mirror. Turning toward the nearest car he ran over and looked at his reflection in the side view mirror.

Right, concentrate. It was weird concentrating on himself. As much as he hated to admit it he tried imagining himself as Alfred. He had looked at Alfred's colours dozens of times and they were frinkin identical twins. It should be easy, right? It took several minutes of nothing happening before he accepted the fact that he couldn't control his emotions the easy way. _God_...dammit...

Angrily he wiped the forming tears away from his eyes as he went towards the building again. Pull it together Williams. You can't do this. Not here, not now, not alone. He had just about reached the building when someone had walked out. Not really paying attention to where he was going, the young blond bumped into him.

"Matt'ew," Berwald acknowledged, catching the other before he fell backwards. "Where's Alfred?"

"I don't care," Matthew said, trying to hide the faint quiver in his voice. "I think Arthur picked him up or something..."

The larger man simply 'hm'd before he looked around at the nearly empty parking lot. His head was still buzzing from the talk he just had with Yao and Bella. Though he's known about his ability for a while he wasn't aware that they had all these terms for things that happened to them. Getting a crash course on everything was...Interesting. Confusing, but interesting. All he knew was that he wanted coffee. "Ya' ready to go?"

Matthew paused. Could he hold himself together until he reached his house? He would have to. He nodded and Berwald began to walk ahead to the car. Matthew gave the building one last look before he followed.

"Hey Blondie."

"_Oh my—_" Okay, people _really _needed to stop doing that. Matthew placed a hand over his racing heart as he looked up at the Prussian that had walked up beside him. "G-Gilbert! What are you—"

"Thinking too much."

Before the blond could ask what that meant the albino turned to where the larger man was still walking. "Hey! Mr...uh...Nurse guy!"

Berwald stopped walking and looked back at the—er— title and Gilbert flinched. Seriously, what is up with this guy and his face? "Uh, you mind giving me a ride too? I don't live that far from Matt here."

The Swede nodded. "'Kay. We're leavin' now," he said before he started walking again.

A bit confused, Matthew quickly followed after Gilbert as he began to walk too. "Um, didn't you drive here today?"

"Nope," Gilbert lied smoothly as they passed by the 'Awesome Mobile'. "Even if I did I figured I might as well come and keep you company anyway. Can't call myself your 'other hero' if I wasn't there or whatever."

Matthew flinched. "Oh...So you heard that."

"Hate to break it to you, Mattie but your brother's not quiet."

That made the Canadian laugh, Gilbert was proud to say. There was a pause before the silver haired teen felt a pressure on his hand and he looked down to find Matthew's hand intertwined with his own.

"Thanks Gil."

"No problem, babe."

* * *

**I realized that for a PruCan story, there wasn't really much Prucan going on, so there you go. That should hold you guys off for what I have planed next...Don't hurt me...**

**Thank you **xxassassinxx18, crackberries, HerDiary, TheFirstDarkblood, XxAlysxX, PrussianAwesomeness, Leite Destiny, Monochrome Cloud, Miss T Hyuga, Randomanime456, Cruz-Hime, Ayla The Librarian, niyoniyo, MistyLovesSesshomaru, fan girl 666, Goopy Sentimentalist, MatthewKirklandWilliams, Glimmyfrost7, Yukai Yami, AmfibiefiskenLarry, Axxi, Naruta13, Silvermoon of Forestclan, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, digi-smile, Blobers **and **Chibi-Foodly-Girl** for the reviews!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	33. Storms

**Hey guys, Kitty29 here with another chapter of Colours! **

**Warning!** Warning!** Warning! **Warning!  
**LOOK HERE DAMMIT  
This chapter is seexxuuuaaallll seductive. Well the first part anyway, had to rewrite it to make it fit under the T rating llooll.  
Thanks **bombayxprodigy** for reading through it and being like 'wtf no'. It really helped ^^**

**Enjoy!  


* * *

**Alfred didn't know what he was doing or where he was going when he got on that first bus. All he knew was that he wanted to get away. He didn't care where he went as long as it was away. His body obeyed.

His mind was going through everything and nothing as his body made the familiar transfers and steps it needed to end up at Kiku's house. He didn't question why he was there when he knocked on the door. His friend's mother was the one who answered, told him that Kiku was staying at Heracles house working on some project and that he wouldn't be back until tomorrow morning. Kiku wasn't the reason he was there. Thankfully his reason was.

It wasn't Friday, the day of their arranged meeting but even so Yong Soo didn't seem surprised to see him. Instead he welcomed him with open arms, both figuratively and literally, seeing as he was practically tackled by the Asian with the way he hugged him. Yong Soo quickly brought him inside and up to his room, claiming that he had just gotten some awesome K-pop music that he _had _to listen too. Well, he _did_ put on the music but it was mostly for the parents than him.

The music was forgotten when Yong Soo's short needy gasps filled his ears. Forgotten when his hands began to freely roam the Korean's surprising toned chest. Forgotten when he got free reign to explore the places usually covered by baggy clothing. Within minutes most of their clothes littered the hardwood floor. They didn't know what it was. Perhaps it was because they both had a frustrating day. Perhaps it was because they were teenage boys nearly at the height of their sexual prime. Whatever it was the two of them found themselves filled with unexplainable lust that needed release. Though they both knew that they were far too young to have sex. Then it got a bit weird.

He wasn't going to go into too much detail, especially not over something like that but lets just say that they managed to find release with just their hands. The experience was...Odd. Interesting, strange and very odd. Definitely something that Alfred would do again in a heartbeat.

After they flopped away from each other, each breathing heavily and each with a grin on their face. They didn't bother cleaning up the white stuff on their stomachs as they lay in the afterglow but that's not where it ended. The trigger to the next events came from a few select words from the Korean. A few select words that were in no shape or form 'sexy'. Yong Soo had turned to Alfred and stated, every simply,

"I think we're going a bit too fast, da~ze."

In which Alfred responded by getting on his knees and initiated round two. It was an experiment more than anything, seeing as the Korean was the first person that he's ever been openly homosexual with. He figured that the other would allow him to do these gay things to him. Well, that was the first part of the experiment anyway. The second part was to see Yong Soo's reaction and...well... Let's just say his hypothesis was wrong. While normally the Korean was rather loud and spontaneous he suddenly turned into this meek mouse when intimate—though he didn't hesitant to grab onto Alfred's hair so tightly that it hurt. The blond had to work to get the Asian to make noise, even with the music covering them up. He had to say that in the end the experience was weird. Then again that was the keyword for this whole experience. Weird. Weird and oddly pleasurable.

Afterwards Yong Soo put his clothes back on and went to get his guest some juice to get the taste out of his mouth but certainly not before he teased the other about it. Alfred quickly downed the liquid and after some more teasing and washing up the two found themselves clothed and laying back on the bed, Yong Soo resting on the others chest, listening to his heart beat while Alfred absentmindedly played with his silky hair. They stayed that way in silence until the smaller of the two broke out into unexpected giggles.

"You just gave me a blow job," Yong Soo stated, trying to be a bit more quiet now that the music had stopped playing. "Can I assume you like me now, da~ze?"

Alfred just shrugged, finding himself laughing along with the other teen. "I guess you can," he said between laughter. They continued with the laughter until suddenly Alfred realized that he was chuckling alone and he awkwardly trailed off.

There was silence before Yong Soo asked a question that Alfred had to admit had crossed his own mind a few times through the experience.

"Why?"

Alfred opened his mouth to answer but realized he didn't know how. Why was he here? Why had he done the things that he did? Was Yong Soo really the one he wanted to see when he had wondered here? Or did he just settle for him when he saw that Kiku wasn't available?

Yong Soo continued to look at the American for a while, his face clearly showing that he wanted answers. When he got nothing he pushed himself off the other and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, opting to sitting there with his back to the other male. Alfred pushed himself on his elbows and looked over at Yong Soo, concern raising in him as he looked over his hunched form.

"This is about your brother, isn't it?"

The breath hitched in his throat as he stared wide eyed at the the Asian. How the...How the hell did he know that? Sure he wasn't really hiding the fact that he was in a fight with his twin but he wasn't...Was he...Was he really doing this because of him? Was he just_ using_ Yong Soo as some sort of...Escape?

He opened his mouth again to try and say something. Say anything but words failed him when Yong Soo turned to him with a smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "But you choose me out of everyone to comfort you and I'm barely your boyfriend!" A real smile crossed his lips as he laughed again. "You're weird!"

Alfred just blinked at him before he laughed as well. He didn't know what it was about it, but Yong Soo's laugh was really contagious. "Says the one who likes touching guys boobs."

Yong Soo turned to fully face the American and pouted. "Are you always going to use that one?"

Alfred smirked before he sat and faced the Korean. "When I see some of your weirder habits I'll use those instead."

"I won't let you find them!"

Alfred's smirk just grew before he pulled himself off the bed and went over to the desk, wasting no time in opening a random drawer. Yong Soo shrieked before he jumped up and wrapped his arms around the American, trying to stop him from leafing through the random papers he had in there. "Ah! Stop it, da~ze!"

"But until I fi—"

A clap of thunder suddenly filled the room and Alfred froze, his eyes wide. What the hell? It wasn't even raining. No sooner did he think that did he hear the first drops of water hitting the window, as if to spite him. "I thought there weren't going to be any thunderstorms today."

"The weather reports not always right..." The Korean trailed off into a frown as he sensed that something wasn't right. He leaned around the other to see his expression. "Alfred, is something wrong?"

Alfred reached down and freed himself from the Asians grasp before he went towards the door. "I have to go."

Yong Soo blinked at the other. "Did I say something?"

The hand about to turn the doorknob stilled and he simply stood there in thought. "...You know about my...Balloon thing, right?" He turned his head just enough so that he could see the the dark haired teen nod. "Well...I'm not the only one with a phobia." Without further explanation the blond left the room.

/ / / \ \ \

It was only a twenty minute walk from the Asian's house to his own but Alfred had managed to make in ten. He was soaking wet by the time he reached his front door no thanks to Mother Nature deciding to turn the light drizzle into pouring rain in a blink of an eye. Also the thunder. The thunder had just appeared out of nowhere and didn't show any signs of stopping anytime soon. Shit.

Arthur was waiting for him next to the stairway. One hand resting on the railing while the other was clutching onto a bottle of some alcohol. Alfred didn't care enough to look. Arthur turned to him when he entered and narrowed his eyes, his gaze a little unfocused. "Where the bloody hell have you been?"

"Where's Matt?" Alfred asked, but it didn't look like Arthur was finished.

"Do you know how many times I called? Would it kill you to return _one_ of th—"

"_Where's Matt?" _Alfred asked again, more firmly when another crack of thunder boomed outside.

"He's fine! He's upstairs! I gave him a bottle of sleeping pills should he need it but I'm dis—"

"You gave him_ a bottle of pills?_" Alfred yelled, not caring that it was his father he was talking to. "During a_ thunderstorm? _Are you _fucking mental?"_

Arthur scowled and took an aggressive step forward. "Don't you _dare_ swear at me Alfred!"

"Or _what?_" The American challenged, also taking a step forward. "Or you'll throw your bottle of liquor at me? Jesus, _look_ at yourself! You're fucking useless without Francis!"

Another crack reminded him of why he was there in the first place and without waiting for the British man to retort he bolted upstairs two steps at a time. He went to Matthew's room first, it obviously being the most logical place for him to be. However, today seemed to be one of the rare days that Alfred turned out to be thinking more logically than his twin. He checked everywhere else that he sometimes found the Canadian during storms. Bathrooms, closets, even in the freakin' cabinets but nothing. Alfred had just about given up before he realized there was still one room he had yet to check. His room. He all but burst into the familiar place, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding when he saw a trembling ball of blankets on his bed. Oh thank God... He kept the light off as he walked towards his brother.

"Matt," He called over the winds beating against the house and the Canadian turned to look at him, his eyes wide with horror.

"A-Alfred!" He exclaimed, the quiver in his voice to apparent not to notice. "I-I'm s-sorry I'm in your room I-I, I forgot that you weren't here and I d-didn't—" A flash of lightening flooding light into the room for the briefest of moments before it was soon joined by its loud booming brethren.

Alfred didn't know why now his body decided to notice how cold his wet clothing was suddenly making it and he figured he might as well get a change of clothes while he was still in his room. "Did you take the pills?" He asked as he started with his undress.

Though he knew the American couldn't see it as he was currently tightly cocooned in three different blankets, Matthew nodded. "J-Just two. J-Just so I could s-sleep through..._This."_

"Good," Alfred breathed in relief as he threw his wet clothes in the corner before he picked up a baggy t-shirt and some boxes off the ground and slipped those on. He went over to his bed and sat next to the shaking form, placing a hand on top of him. He really didn't know why his brother was as afraid of thunder as he was. From what he could remember of the time before they were separated he never acted this way during storms but now he always turned into this petrified mess. "How ya' holding up?"

"M-My wrist hurts," Matthew stuttered in a lame attempt of a joke. Another crack of thunder sounded and Matthew found himself clinging to his older twin. "Don't leave me!" He cried out desperately. "Please! I-I'm sorry we're fighting! I-I'm s-sorry this is a b-b-bad time! I didn't mean to, I'm so, please don't leave..."

Alfred shushed him and pulled his head onto his lap, gently stroking his hair in a soothing matter. "Mattie, it's okay. I won't leave," he assured. Yes, he and Matthew were going through some stuff. Yes he was still a bit peeved with him but the bottom line was that the Canadian was still his twin. He was still the older brother. No matter what happened or who came into their lives those facts were set in stone. So he stayed true to his words. He stayed like that until the sleeping pills had kicked in and Matthew was left drooling onto his boxes.

/ / / \ \ \

"_-stand there and watch me bu—"_

"_-'s Music __Academy__ was found dead toda—"_

"_-storms for the rest of the nigh—" _

Francis turned off the radio and decided to drive through the pouring rain in silence. Dammit, if he had known there was going to be a thunderstorm he wouldn't have driven as far away as he did. He would have made sure he was close to the house so that he would make sure Matthew was alright.

Matthew...

Francis checked his phone. He had sent messages to both Alfred and Arthur asking about Matthew's status but so far either of them had replied back. Dammit... He threw the phone back on the passengers seat before he focused on the road. The _worst_ thing he could do to Matthew right now would be to get in some kind of accident. Right, he needed to focus.

"Watch out for this guy, he's kind of drifting."

"Yes, merci Colette."

...

...

...

_WHAT THE FUC—_

Francis quickly pulled over to the side of the road before he really did get in some kind of accident and snapped his head back to look at the smiling red head in the backseat. "_Mon Dieu, Colette! _What, how did you get in here?"

Colette's smile simply grew before she started to climb over to the passengers seat. "Hope you don't mind me sitting here, sir," she said before picking up the phone and getting comfortable, even going as far as putting on the seat beat and looking ahead as if wanting for him to keep going.

"_Colette, how did you get in here?_" Francis asked again, nothing in his face showing he was amused.

"Funny story," she started, not seeming to notice the others annoyance. "I actually broke in here, well, more like walked in 'cause you didn't the doors locked. Anyway, so I walked in while you were at the restaurant and I wanted to surprise you when you were on the road but I found this really nice blanket and I kind of fell asleep!" She shrugged, as if this was an everyday thing. "Oh well." She looked over to him with her large smile. "So where are we headed?"

Francis just stared at her, not bothering to hide the incredulous and slightly creeped out look on his face. Truthfully his mind was going through too much to notice the random blanket covered bump in the backseat. He was still thinking about how he should proceed with Arthur and the fact that he's had an ability for years and didn't tell him. Not to mention if he should further complicate matters by telling his spouse that he had cheated with this women that was sitting beside him now.

A crack of thunder bought him back to what was important. Right, Matthew. There was a time for him to think of all this, but now was not it. He started the car and pulled back into the road. He would deal with her on the way.

"I need to go back home right now. I will drop you off at your apartment on the way."

The women made a noise in the back of her throat as if thinking about it. "Nah, it's okay I always wanted to meet your kids." Faint beeping filled the car and Francis didn't have to look to tell that she was looking through his phone. "I can't believe that Arthur only called you four times today, that jerk. If it were me I would be calling every half hour to try and get you back. He doesn't deserve you."

Francis reached over and plucked the phone from her grasp, placing it back in his pocket. "Is it not your business Bunton."

Colette made a face at the sudden switch to her last name but that quickly turned back into a smile. "Of course it is! We don't have to be so formal anymore, Francis. After all, you were inside me~"

Francis pulled over and cut the engine his tone not friendly. "This is your stop."

She looked out through the rain at the gas station. "This isn't your house."

"I know."

Well then, she could tell when she wasn't wanted. "Okay. I'll play nice for now. But I know you'll come to see it my way soon." With that she opened the door and stepped out into the wet night, the Frenchman wasting no time in starting the car back up and drove away, trying not to dwell on the fact that the women was probably stalking him as he drove on. Jesus Christ...

He decided to try the radio again.

* * *

**To bad there isn't a T+ rating. I would be all over that stuff. I don't wanna increase it to M cause that's probably going to be the most graphic scene in the story so I figured that there wouldn't be a poiinnnt. Mmmmmm...There will be no descriptive sex scenes in this story, just saying(mostly to myself, right).**

**Thank you **Chocola Emo Shizzlex2, Randomanime456, MatthewKirklandWilliams**, **HerDiary, Axxi, Leite Destiny, Miss T Hyuga, Fierce Kitten, Ayla The Librarian, Lately, Naruta13, SabrinaScissorhands, Silvermoon of Forestclan, XxAlysxX, luthinuvielle, A Bleach-Drinking Hetalian, fan girl 666, xxassassinxx18, Goopy Sentimentalist, cutegixie, LoliPear the WaltzQueen, AmfibiefiskenLarry, Sakima Hebi, FrenchFryLovesYou **and **koosei **for the reviews!**

**Thanks for reading and I hop you enjoyed!  
**


	34. Following Through

**Hey guys! Kitty29 here with a new chapter of Colours!  
Only two days before Christmas! You guys excited? Or for those who cerebrate something else, you excited for that? Or in the process of being excited or... Season's greetings!**

**Thank you** Randomanime456** for being my 700****th**** reviewer! 800! Coming at ya'!**

**This will probably be the last chapter I post before Christmas so I hope you all enjoy!  


* * *

**Yao and Bella had called for another meeting at the club but Alfred and Matthew missed it. That was the downside of sleeping pills. No matter how loud the alarm sounded, when on the drugs you didn't wake up. That didn't mean they were off the hook. Gilbert had texted him personally in place of the clubs leader and told them to get down to the hospital as soon as they could because they had found some way to wake up Feliciano. Well, that was the nice way of putting it—for all his grammatical mistakes he still swore like a sailor in his texts. So that's how the twins found themselves being driven to the hospital by their French father.

"Matheiu are you alright?" Francis questioned, seeing his son's daze in the rear view mirror. Matthew nodded, rubbing his eyes with his good hand.

"'M fine. Pills just need t'get outta m' system..." he mumbled, slapping his cheeks in an attempt to wake him up. He knew that he would be awake anyway to go to school but Francis had called both of them in sick. He seemed to understand how important waking up their friend was. Alfred looked back on his brother from the passengers sit and smirked.

"Ha! You sound like Uncle Ox!"

Matthew just groaned and pressed his head against the window beside him. "Shuddup. Y'try wearing this sweaty cast."

A chuckle escaped the French adult as Alfred pouted. "I'm glad you two are not fighting anymore."

Alfred looked ahead and crossed his arms. "I'm not sure about that."

Matthew sighed. "I'll make you some hamburgers."

Alfred nodded before his usual heroic smile graced his face. "'Kay, fight over."

Francis couldn't help but smile. Oh if only conflict resolutions could always be as simple as that. As if reading his mind the American turned to his French father and said, "So when are you and Dad gonna kiss and make up?"

Francis released a small sigh. Of course the kids would see that something was up, then again he and Arthur were pretty bad at hiding anything between them. "Things between your father and I are...Complicated."

Alfred rolled his eyes "C'mon, I'm only fifteen and I can see you guys are useless without each other."

"Well, you're only fifteen for a few more weeks. What do you want for your birthday?"

"Y'changing the subject..." Matthew mumbled in the back round, his head lulling to the side as he tried not to fall asleep again. Alfred nodded, obviously agreeing.

"Yeah, just come back already. Dad's drinking again."

"An' you're driving," Matthew contributed. "Everywhere."

Downside of giving twins, they always team up. Francis sighed again. He knew they weren't choosing sides but he wondered if they would be more on his if they knew Arthur had been hiding his ability from them for so long. Though knowing them they could probably be mad for a day then forgive him. Should he be doing the same?

And he wasn't driving that much, was he? Well sure he was driving from hotels back to his house then the restaurant then out of town just to drive around and then...

Okay. So maybe he was driving a lot more than usual.

He pulled into the hospital parking lot and bid his son's farewell, stopping their questions. He figured that this time he wouldn't follow after them. He would probably just get in the way.

"By the way, I want a new laptop," Alfred said just before he got out of the car. "I still hadn't gotten one since Dad ran mine over."

"Maybe if you didn't leave your computer there to begin with—"

"I was researching cars. There are cars in the garage." Alfred gave him a look like that was the most obvious thing in the world before he said goodbye and shut the door behind him. He nodded towards his groggy brother before they began towards the hospital.

"Hey Birdie! Idiot hero look alike!"

Matthew and Alfred looked over to see Gilbert waving them towards another car, several familiar people around him. He chuckled when he saw that Alfred had looked over. "Ha! I can't believe you looked at that, moron!"

Alfred narrowed his eyes at the laughing albino before the twins made their way over. "I don't get what you see in him," Alfred said to Matthew, causing him to turn a light pink.

"I don't get what you see in Yong Soo," Matthew retorted causing Alfred to turn light pink as well.

"Oh, so you heard about what happened at school, huh?"

Matthew blinked. "What? No. Why, what happened?"

"Uh..."

"Hello," Yao greeted once they got close enough. He was sitting on the front of his car, while a few select people from the recent meeting were standing around trying to get comfortable by leaning on the vehicle. "Okay, aru! It's time to discuss the plan!"

"The plan to wake up little Feliciano!" Ivan said in glee.

"Really?" Both Matthew and Alfred said in unison and the Chinese man nodded.

"T-That's great!" Matthew began, pausing to shuffle a yawn. "S-So, um, what do we do?"

With that question everyone gathered closer to the Asian to hear what he had to say.

"Okay, first things first," Yao began, his face serious. "I can't grantee that this plan with work. Understood, aru?"

It wasn't exactly the pick me up that the others were expecting at the start but nevertheless they agreed. Yao started to explain. It wasn't a practically difficult or flashy plan. In fact, as far as plans went, it was pretty stranded. Basically someone was going to cause some kind of distraction to make the doctors and nurses focus most of their attention on that. It wasn't necessary, but a precaution just in case something went wrong with Feliciano and someone ran in and stopped them halfway. Meanwhile, Lovino would use his ability to try and get his brother to wake up while Berwald would watch over Feliciano and make sure nothing went horribly wrong. Hopefully that would be enough to work. After he was done with the basics he pulled out a piece of paper and went on to assign roles to everyone.

"Michelle, Gilbert, you're going to be the distraction."

Michelle perked up and looked at the Prussian in shock. Gilbert smirked devilishly at the other and wiggled his fingers at her. Michelle groaned and her body slumped. "_No! _Not him! Can't it be Kaoru?"

Yao shook his head. "Sorry but no. Unless you want to burn Kaoru."

Michelle blinked. "What?"

Gilbert decided to cover this one. "Yep! Thought that would make you happy, Chelles. The distraction is you using your ability on me to heat me up and make it seem like I suddenly got some kind of flash fever or something. See how I think of you?"

Michelle blinked again, looking to dumbfounded to be amused. Matthew turned a worried eye towards the Prussian.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" He asked before he turned Yao. "Isn't there another way?"

"Best way to distract doctors is some kind of medical mystery," Gilbert said. "Seriously, they'll be all over my ass."

Matthew still looked worried. Seeing this Alfred slapped his back causing the Canadian to shift forward a bit from the unexpected blow. "Don't worry Mattie! I'll be there! I'll help with the distraction too, act like I actually care for this red eyed weirdo or something."

"Love you too, future pretend brother," Gilbert said, giving a mock salute to the American and Alfred wouldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Cause we look alike," Alfred mumbled sarcastically and Gilbert shrugged.

"I'm an albino, I could pretend a black guys my brother and no one would know." That actually caused both males to laugh stupidly and Yao decided to carry on with his list.

"Ivan, if anything goes wrong with Feliciano I need you to stay by his room and 'distract' anyone who tries to come in, aru."

Ivan nodded. "Anything for you, comrade Yao."

The Chinese man opened his mouth to continue but paused to raise an eyebrow at the Russian. Then he looked back to the paper. "Matthew, you'll join Lovino with Feliciano."

Matthew blinked at Yao, hearing his name snapping him out of his half dazed state. "Eh? Why?"

"Abilities work better when we're calm, aru. Your job is to use your ability to keep Lovino calm."

Lovino and Matthew glanced at each other before Matthew nodded. "O-Okay," he answered, shuffling a yawn before rubbing his eyes. "I'll do my best."

Yao nodded before he folded up the paper and placed it in his pocket. "Any questions?"

Michelle raised her hand before she spoke. "Yeah, um, why did you ask Ravis for the weather for today?"

"The weather said there would be thunderstorms today. Thunder is very distracting," he answered curtly. "Anything else?" When no one say anything Yao slid off the hood of his car. "Okay. We'll start when Berwald gets here, aru."

Everyone agreed and they turned to each other to start talking. Gilbert looked to Michelle and smirked. "So how does it feel to be the temporary pretend girlfriend of the awesome me?"

Michelle crossed her arms and huffed at the other. "Just because I'm doing this doesn't mean I'll pretend to be your girlfriend! That's gross!"

"C'mon, to do this right I have to hold your hand~" he teased, wiggling his fingers at her again. "And then I'll know all your secrets~"

"Kaoru!" She cried and the Asian stepped in front of her before he flicked Gilbert's forehead.

"Ow! The hell?" Gilbert called, rubbing his forehead. "You put steroids in your fingers or something? Ow!"

A small smirk appeared on Kaoru's face before he grabbed onto the pouting girls wrist and lead her away. Gilbert mumbled something about small kids being surprisingly strong before he turned around and nearly walked into Matthew.

"Oh, hey Matt!" He greeted, still rubbing his forehead. Matthew just nodded back, shuffling another yawn. "Where's that idiot brother of yours?"

Matthew vaguely gestured behind him while he tried to fully bring himself back to reality. "He's talking to Ivan. Said something about...Getting to know my teacher er somethin'..."

He raised his right hand to rub his eyes and Gilbert frowned. "C'mon, even I'm awake by now!"

"Iznot that..." Matthew slurred, forcing a small sheepish smile. "Sorry, I just...Took some pills to sleep through the storm and there not gone yet..."

Gilbert paused before he made a noise as if remembering something. "Oh yeah. Forgot you didn't like storms."

Matthew blinked. "How did you..." He trailed off when the other rose an eyebrow at him. Oh, right. Abilities.

"Thought the storm started at like...Ten or something and its..." He paused to glance at his watch and Matthew stared at it in wonder. Who wore watches anymore? "Huh, ten now. Do those things really last twelve hours?"

The blond shook his head. "No...I guess this is what I get for mixing it with my pain medication..."

"You did _what?"_

Matthew froze. Oops, no one was supposed to know that. "I-It was an accident really. I didn't even realize I did it until after I took them."

Though Gilbert was still concerned. "Shit, Matt don't you know how dangerous that is?" Without thinking he tugged off a glove and placed the back of his hand on Matthews forehead. "How do you feel? Don't you collapse on me!"

Matthew grabbed onto his hand and pulled it away from his forehead. "I'm fine! Don't worry. I'm just a bit tired, but I'm sure it will wear off." Gilbert still didn't seemed convinced so he went on. "Uncle Ox will be there with me. I'm sure if anything goes wrong he'll help me."

Gilbert still looked a bit worried but he could do nothing but release a small sigh and ruffle his hair. "Well fine I—" He then realized that Matthew was still holding onto his bare hand and he quickly pulled it away before placing his glove back on. "Sorry..."

Matthew blinked, not really knowing what he was apologizing for. "Um, it's okay?" He said a bit unsure. There was a short awkward silence before Gilbert spoke.

"By the way..." He started with a smirk, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a red marker. "I hadn't signed your cast yet."

The Canadian looked down at his cast, which was mostly filled with crude drawings of superheroes and hamburgers thanks to his lovely brother. "Oh, well, I think I'm getting it off tomorrow actually..."

Gilbert shrugged. "Meh, I still wanta write something." He popped the cap off the marker and asked Matthew to raise his injured hand, which he did. "You should be grateful that the awesome me even remembered to do this for ya'!"

Matthew just rolled his eyes but couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his face as he watched the Prussian write. He finished but had to pull away and look at his handiwork before he let the younger teen see it. Matthew looked and rose an eyebrow.

"I can't read it," he stated, turning his head this way and that to try and make sense of the scribbles. "Is that...German?"

"Most awesome language in the world," Gilbert said proudly. Matthew waited for him to tell him what it meant. He didn't.

"Um, what does it—"

"Sorry t'keep ya' waitin'."

Everyone turned to see Berwald in his scrubs. He nodded to everyone in greeting before he rested his eyes on Yao. "Ready?"

Yao nodded before he turned to everyone else, a smile on his face. "Let's perform a miracle, aru."

/ / / \ \ \

Matthew tapped his foot nervously as he glanced out the window. He, Yao, Lovino and Berwald were all in Feliciano's small room, waiting for some sort of signal before they started. They weren't in there for long but the waiting was seriously killing him. He decided to test his ability out on Lovino again.

"Stop toying with my emotions! We all know it works, dammit!" Lovino barked and Matthew looked away.

"Sorry," he quickly apologized before he glanced out the window again. What was taking them so long?

Berwald sighed before he glanced at the machines hooked up to the slumbering teen. Stable. Normal. "Didn't know ya' could control em'tions," he said absentmindedly, trying to start a conversation to pass the time.

Matthew shrugged, shuffling another yawn. Wake up Williams. Wake. Up. "I-It's changed a bit since then," he said with a small timid laugh.

"You have a history?" Yao asked, twirling his ponytail around his finger. He wasn't really curious, he was just bored.

"Yeah, um..." Matthew paused to shake his head. Dammit, wake up! "He's the first one I told about my ability..."

Commotion from outside brought everyone's attention to the window to see some nurses and doctors running past.

"_Don't tell me to calm down! He's my frinkin' cousin!"_ Came Alfred's shout. He might have mixed up the story but he was still doing pretty well. More and more people were running past them as he went on. Even a security guard ran past. "_Don't fucking touch me! You know who I am?"_

Matthew had never been so proud of his twin's loud nature.

"Okay, aru. Time to get started!" Yao quickly reminded, and everyone's attention was back to the task at hand. "Lovino, you know what to do."

Lovino nodded, worry causing his brow to cease as he turned to his younger brother. "Spiacente," he whispered before he reached down and placed a hand on his bare skin. The sudden rapid beeping from the heart rate monitor caused him to quickly retract his hand. "What's happening?" He cried to Berwald.

"'E's goin' into shock," he answered calmly as he prepared a needle. Making sure there weren't any bubbles in it, he stuck it into one of the tubes attached to the Italian and released the liquid. Within moments his heart rate slowed and went back to normal again. "'E should be fine."

The other persons in the room released a sigh they didn't know they were holding. Lovino went to touch Feliciano again but hesitated. He looked towards Yao silently asking if it was alright. Yao glanced at his phone for the time and then over to Berwald for further approval. The large man nodded towards the older Italian and Lovino released another sigh. Slipping into the unused chair he reached into his shirt and pulled out a rather impressive looking cross necklace. He grabbed onto Feliciano's hand and enclosed it around the cross before placing both his own hands over his. Bringing his forehead against his hands he began to mumble something in his native tongue.

Remembering his own task Matthew slapped his cheeks in a vain attempt to bring himself out of his half asleep state before he focused on Lovino's colours. Thankfully his colours were just like Feliciano's, bright and contrasted nicely against each other. Finding his calm colour would be easy and...um...What colour was calm again? Crrraaappp, c'mon this should be easy! Calm, calm, calm, what was calming? Uh...Light blue! Light blue! That was it!

Slightly embarrassed over the temporary setback he quickly grabbed onto the colour and made it expand. The one thing he didn't like about his ability was that it was hard for him to see what was happening around him while he was concentrating on people's colours. Every time he tried it either became every hard to use his ability or he would lose concentration completely. He didn't want that to happen but he was curious about what was going on as well. He guessed all he could do was rely on his hearing to tell him what was up. All he could hear was beeping and Lovino whispering. That was good, right?

A suddenly drowsiness sweeping over him made him lose his grip on the colour. Grabbing onto it again he mentally cussed the pills he had taken. Dammit, there really couldn't have been a worse time for that storm to hit, seriously.

"Matthew, are you okay?" He heard Yao call from the sidelines.

Without breaking his concentration Matthew replied with, "M'fine." Though it made out a lot more slurred than he would have hoped for. What was wrong with him? He felt a hand on his shoulder but he still reused to break his concentration.

"Matthew maybe you should..." Yao trailed off and Matthew felt the hand slip off his shoulder. He briefly wondered why he had trailed off like that a—the colour was slipping. Getting a better grip he forced the light blue to overcome the other colours. Right, focus on this Matthew. This is how you're helping Feliciano.

Yao addressed him again, but his voice was more stein this time. "Matthew! Stop using your ability!"

Matthew quickly followed orders, but he really wished he didn't. Almost immediately after he did the room started to spin and his head began to unexpectedly throb. He grabbed onto his head and sewed his eyes shut, the brightness of the room doing nothing but further aggravating the ache. Stumbling backwards until his back hit the wall he slid down and wished for people to stop talking around him. Why did it suddenly sound like there were so many people in here? Why were they so _loud?_

He suddenly felt something probing against his legs and he opened his eyes just enough to see someone offering him what looked like a garbage can. What the? What would he need that fo—

Oh.

Quickly grabbing the bin he brought it between his legs before he buried his face in it and throw up whatever he had for breakfast that morning. What the hell! _What was happening to him? _He felt someone begin to rub soothing circles in his back and he angled himself to give them easier access. Sure he still felt like he had just stepped off a roller coaster but it still helped a bit.

"I'm sorry." He heard someone say before everything went black.

* * *

**Translation:  
Spiacente - Italian for Sorry (or least I think so, when I searched it a couple of ways to say sorry came up but I think that's the right one.)**

**Mmmmm, it's not like I'm been without it but it feels good to write ^^**

**Thank you **MatthewKirklandWilliams, A Bleach-Drinking Hetalian, Randomanime456, Miss T Hyuga, xxassassinxx18, HerDiary, Yukai yami, Glimmyfrost7, Ce, fan girl 666, Leite Destiny, Ayla The Librarian, luthinuvielle, cutegixie, Chocola Emo Shizzle, Silvermoon of Forestclan, Goopy Sentimentalist, Kie-chu, Lately, Monochrome Cloud, XxAlysxX, Axxi, niyoniyo, Bethany, Jankz, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, Fruity Loops of Pain, Fierce Kitten **and **Spockie **for the reviews!**

**Thanks for reading and happy holidays!**


	35. Discovery

**Hey guys! Kitty29 here with a new chapter of Colours!  
Yeah, so remember when I said that the last chapter was going to be the last one until Christmas was over? Welll...**

**I lied.**

**Enjoy!  


* * *

**Matthew was glad to say he felt a lot better when he awoke. Sure he was a bit nauseous and he still had a headache but he wasn't tired anymore. Though he wasn't glad of the fact that when he woke up he wasn't in Feliciano's room but laying on a hospital bed. Great, not even a week away and he's back in this place.

"Welcome back, aru."

Matthew turned to his right to see Yao sitting next to him or rather, the blobs of colour that made him up. Reaching forward Yao placed his glasses back on his face. The blond thanked him before he adjusted the glasses properly.

"Yao, what happened? How's Feliciano? Where is everyone? Did the plan wo—"

A simple raise of a hand stopped the younger male mid sentence. Yao looked at him, a guilty expression on his face. "This is my fault. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have rushed into making a plan, aru. I shouldn't have pushed you so hard..."

"We all agreed to do this, this isn't your fault," Matthew interrupted, feeling weird to see the club leader beat himself up. "And you weren't pushing me. It's not like I've never done that before..."

Yao rose an eyebrow at him at that. He opened his mouth to comment but closed it again to think. After a few moments of silence he asked, "Matthew, how long do you think you were using your ability for?"

Matthew blinked at the odd question, but decided to answer it the best he could. "Um, about five minutes or so I think..." He trailed off when the others expression hardened and he turned his gaze to the side.

"...Matthew, you were using your ability for over an hour. That's why you collapsed, aru."

Matthew blinked. No way...Really? Well, he supposed that would have been the longest time he's every used his ability but even so it couldn't have made him pass out...could it? No...That was probably just the pills... Shaking his head of the thoughts he decided to ask a much more important question.

"What about Feliciano? Did it work? Is he..." He trailed off once again when he saw Yao sadly shake his head.

"He's still in a coma, aru," Yao said with a depressing sigh and Matthew couldn't help but feel the effects of it. He sunk deeper into the bed and raised a hand to his head, releasing a sigh of his own. He was beginning to doubt if they could even bring the Italian from his coma. If even after everything that he and Lovino did wasn't enou—

Lovino.

He didn't know what had caused him to do what he did but he quickly looked over to the left and pulled back the separating curtain between the beds. He relaxed when he saw Lovino laying on the bed still sleeping. It was a good thing he was okay but what about the others? What happened to them? Suddenly feeling hyper, he swung his legs over the bed and stood, intending to go and find the answers himself. He went to leave the room and wordlessly Yao followed.

"If you're looking for Alfred he's not here," Yao started as they went. "The staff kicked him out so he's in my car for now."

Matthew nodded, expecting that bit. It wouldn't be the first time his brothers been kicked out of somewhere for being his loud self. Plus, this time he was actually _trying. _Good God. "What about Gilbert?"

Yao abruptly turned down another hallway. "I can show you, aru."

Matthew quickly followed after him—which was really harder then it sounded, the Chinese man was a rather fast walker—and they soon ended up in front of a door that had yet to have the patients name on it. Yao looked to the Canadian and nodded.

"I have to get back to make sure Lovino's okay," he said before he walked off, barely giving Matthew enough time to wave before he was gone. Matthew looked around awkwardly, feeling weird to be walking into a room with no tags on it. Then again, that nurse was looking right at him and wasn't making any move to stop him so it was probably okay...Right?

Right, why the hell was he thinking about this so much? Quickly opening the door he stepped in and gained the attention of the people inside.

Gilbert smiled at him, he was sitting on one of the bed with his shirt off and several bandages wrapped around his red skin. He reached up and waved curtly at the blond before he gently placed his hand back on the bed, wincing slightly when his hand made contact with the cloth. "Hey Birdie! What's up?"

Matthew looked in horror at the albino's burns. "Oh my god! Gil! Are you okay?"

Gilbert made a sound as if it was nothing. "Chelles just tried to kill me that's all."

"I said I was sorry!" Michelle called from the sidelines, looking absolutely guilty. "I just got nervous under the pressure and then..."

"Here I am with first degree burns," Gilbert finished with a shrug, ignoring the look Kaoru sent him. "Least it gives me some colour, huh?"

"You have enough colour," Matthew replied before he walked over to the Prussian. "Does it hurt?"

"As much as burns do I guess," Gilbert said with another shrug. Matthew slowly nodded before he reached up and placed a careful hand onto his now red chest. Gilbert flinched and he quickly withdrew.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't know what I wa—"

"No, put your hand back it's cold."

There was brief hesitation before Matthew placed his hand back on his chest, his cheeks turning a light pink when the Prussian let out a satisfied sigh.

"So where's Feli?" He decided to ask with a smile, not seeming to notice how uncomfortable the Canadian suddenly became. "He's awake now, right?"

Matthew looked away from the older male and remained silent. Gilbert smile slipped and he looked towards Michelle and Kaoru, who didn't look so happy either.

"So this was all for _nothing?"_ Michelle exclaimed, looking like she was about to cry in frustration. She turned and clung onto the smaller Asian beside her, who patted her back awkwardly.

"I'm sorry," Matthew apologized needlessly.

"It's not your fault," Gilbert assured though he still sounded a bit downcast.

Matthew sighed. "I-I know. I just wish I could do more to hel—" A sudden sharp gasp escaped from the blond and he stumbled forward and grabbed onto Gilbert leg to steady himself. Instantly, Gilbert reached forward and grabbed onto the other to steady him, ignoring the pain it caused.

"Jeez, Matt. You okay?" He asked but Matthew didn't answer. He didn't know how to answer. It felt as if his energy was slowly slipping out of his body and travelling down into his fingertips. But why? Leaning more onto Gilbert he slumped over and starting panting, suddenly feeling very out of breath.

"Matt? _Matt!"_

He felt people grab onto his arms and pull him away from the albino. Michelle and Kaoru sat the dazed Canadian in a chair before they looked back in Gilbert in shock.

"That shouldn't have happened," Kaoru started as he looked between the other two males. It took a few moments for Matthew to catch his breath. When he thought he was okay he looked back to to Gilbert, only to have his breath catch in his throat. His burns...His burns had almost completely vanished!

Gilbert looked down at himself in awe before he looked at the Canadian, not bothering to hide his surprise. "You...You_ healed _me."

"I...I..." Matthew's breathing rate increased as he looked down at his shaking hands. But how did he...Wasn't this...

Lovino.

Darting out of the room he ran back to the room he had woken up in. Throwing the door open he found Yao trying to calm down what looked like a panicking Lovino.

"_You!"_ The Italian yelled once he saw the blond enter the room. He slipped off the bed and tried to make his way over but Yao stopped him. "_What the hell__ did you do to me? _I have your stupid ability!_"_

What the hell? So it wasn't just him? Concentrating on Lovino Matthew was shocked to find that he could still see his colours. Wha-What the hell? Did this mean that he has_ two_ abilities now? _What the _fuck _was going on?_

"Wait. You have Matthew's ability?" Yao asked in awe and the brunette turned to glare at him.

"Why else would I be so upset?" He yelled instead of an answer before he broke from the Chinese man's grip and sit on the edge of the bed with a pout. Yao turned his wide eyes to the Canadian.

"And you..."

"I just healed Gilbert," Matthew promptly answered, trying to swallow down the panic but failing. "What's happening to us?"

Yao eyes widened even more and his mouth opened slightly as he stared at Matthew as if seeing him for the first time. "Wode Tian..." He breathed. "You can make connections..."

Both teens looked to him in confusion. "He can do _what?"_ Lovino asked. Though it didn't even seem as if Yao was listening. He was staring at nothing as a smile slowly spread on his lips.

"Amazing, aru. What luck!"

"Yao!" Matthew yelled, getting the Chinese man's attention. "What does making connections mean? Why do I have Lovino's ability?"

Yao blinked at him before he seemed to snap out of whatever daze he was in. "Aiyeh? Ah...right connections, aru." He straightened up and cleared his throat before he continued. "It's very rare but some times when two people use their abilities at the same time they can temporarily gain each others ability while still maintaining their own." He paused to look to the side and mumble something before he continued. "However, only a few people in the world have been able to accomplish this, aru. Matthew. I think you're one of those people."

Silence took on the room as they allowed that information to sink in. Swallowing back a nervous lump in his throat Matthew asked another question. "W-Why are you so sure it's me? It could have been Lovino..."

The mentioned male sent him an angry glare. "Are you pinning this on me?"

Matthew waved his hands in front of his face as a negative. "N-No, sorry...I'm just curious."

Yao shook his head. "No, it's you, aru. You were focusing on Lovino before this happened. If Lovino was the one who could make connections he would have Feliciano's ability right now."

"...So it's temporary, right?" Lovino asked.

The Asian nodded. "It should only last a few hours, aru."

Lovino released a sigh of relief. "Good, cause this colour thing is really weird."

Matthew glared at the Italian for the comment about his own ability before he looked down at his hands. With these hands he just basically cured Gilbert. Weird. Very weird to think about yet...Oddly empowering. Yao had only said he only had this for a few hours, should he go and...do something with it? But who would he heal? What was he thinking, he was in the middle of a hospi—

Wait.

He looked back to Lovino, who was now lounging on the bed. "We should... We should try waking up Feliciano again."

Both males looked at him at that and Matthew continued. "I-I mean...There are two of us now so if we try again he might..." He trailed off, figuring that was enough information to get what he was posing.

Yao didn't look sold. "I don't think giving Feliciano so much energy in this short a time is a good idea."

"But you said yourself that we only have a few hou—"

"Let's go."

He didn't even notice that Lovino was leading towards him until he had grabbed into his arm and half dragged him out the door. The concerned dark haired male followed. "Didn't you hear me, aru?"

"I heard you," Lovino growled, not slowing his pace in the slightest as he went towards his brothers room. "But I need to try everything to get Feli to wake up. If we think about this for too long we'll lose our chance!" Making sure that no one was watching, the three slipped inside the small room. Immediately Lovino went to closing the blinds as the two stared nervously.

"Um...Maybe we should get Berwald," Matthew suggested, remembering what happened last time. Lovino shook his head.

"He's already registered you," he stated, leaving no room to argue as he walked up to his brother, Matthew following closely behind. He stood by the side of the comatose male, looking down at him with a slightly troubled expression, as if he was thinking over something. Then, with a small growl, he reached into his shirt and pulled out his impressive looking cross necklace before he shifted it so that he was closer to the Canadian. "Grab onto this."

"What is it?" Matthew asked before doing what he was told. Lovino turned to raise an eyebrow at him before he looked back down, a faint scowl on his face.

"...It's a family heirloom that's been passed to the first born males for hundreds of years," he started and Matthew stared at the object in wonder. "I'm forbidden to take it off...Dammit I don't even know if I can let people outside the family touch it..." At that Matthew went to take his hand off it but Lovino wouldn't let him. "But when I hold this it's easier to use my ability...So if touching it helps to wake up Feli..." He decided he had said enough. "Anyway, when you touch him just focus on getting him to wake up."

Matthew nodded before he focused his attention on Feliciano, taking a deep breath. Right. He could do this. Clearing his mind of everything but thoughts with Feliciano getting better, he reached down and gently lay a hand on his bare arm.

Meanwhile, Yao watched from the back round, not liking where this was going but knowing they were both to stubborn for him to stop it. Darn it... He just wished that they didn't do this _now. _Almost right after they had used up all of their energy. What were they really hoping to accomplish from this? As much as he hated to admit it the odds were really against them for all this. A gasp brought him from his thoughts and he looked to see Matthew letting go of the necklace and hanging his head.

"I-I'm sorry..." He apologized needlessly. "I lost it."

Lovino let go of Feliciano's hand with a faint sigh, figuring that whatever else he had to offer would be useless. He looked at his younger brothers face, hoping to see some kind of change in it. Same natural sleeping expression. He tucked the necklace back in his shirt and turned around suddenly feeling like the biggest idiot. "Dammit..." He said softly, bowing his head to let his hair cover his face. "What do I have to do..."

The room lapsed into depressing silence as they all thought about that question. Yes, what do they have to do indeed. _Could_ they even do anything? Was Feliciano just destined to spend the rest of his life asleep?

"..Is anyone else as hungry as I am?"

The males heads snapped around. No way... But it couldn't be...but it was. Sitting up and acting as if nothing had happened, was Feliciano in all of his glory. He turned his gaze to the three males beside him and blinked, confusion clearly showing in his eyes as he looked between the shocked persons.

"Ve~...Am I missing something?"

* * *

**Translation:  
****Wode Tian**** - Chinese Mandarin for My God**

**Thought I would leave you guys to spend the holidays on a better note. Merry Christmas! =D**

**Thank you **glassof-wine, Kikiura, xxassassinxx18, TOOLAZYTOLOGIN, Randomanime456, Jankz, Maki-sama, XxAlysxX, Chocola Emo Shizzle, WinterClover, Leite Destiny, Silvermoon of Forestclan, Axxi, Luna-Discord, Ayla The Librarian, Miss T Hyuga, fan girl 666, SabrinaScissorhands, AmfibiefiskenLarry, Sakima Hebi, SchemingAlchemist, HerDiary, LoliPear the WaltzQueen, Goopy Sentimentalist, lilredd3394, cutegixie, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, winterdarknessXD **and **Berry Doyle** for the reviews!**

**Thank you for reading and again Merry Christmas! **


	36. Normal

**Hey guys, Kitty29 here with a new chapter of Colours! Sorry for...I guess the kind of late chapter. That's what happens when you pull most o****f**** the chapter out of your ass! Ohohohoh... right.**

**Anyways, one thing before you move on. I don't know if it was the Christmas sprite or the fact that Feli woke up after like, ten chapters or so but the last chapter _completely _broke the record for the most reviews for a chapter with a whooping ****50**** of them. WWHHOOAA that is ****half of 100****. That chapter, got half of a 100 ****reviews****. Words can't express how touched I was to see that. Every new review, fav, alert or whatever was like a Christmas present to me, and for that I thank you. I thank you alllll! =D**

**Also, welcome new readers. If you just discovered this story and have made it this far I'm guessing you like it. Thank you so much for reading! ^^**

**Thank you **Blot-of-Blood** for**** the 800th review! WHOA! 900 I am going towards you SO HARD.**

**Please enjoy the last chapter before the new year!  


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**

Nothing baffled the doctors more than Gilbert's sudden gaining of first degree burns only to completely lose them a mere hour later. The medical staff were flipping though all the books to try and diagnose it while others thought it was some kind of miracle. The whole hospital would have probably been in chaos if not for one man. That man being both Ludwig's and Gilbert's grandfather as well as the Vice Principal of their school (as Matthew and Alfred were just finding out). He threatened to sue the hospital if they disclosed his grandson's information to anyone outside of the hospital under his name or while he was under his care. Normally such a claim would hold some respect, but not ultimately enough to make the staff do what they wanted for long. However, there was something about the man's stone cold, almost murderous piercing blue eyes that made their lips suddenly want to stop moving.

Thanks to him for a while our main characters were safe from the evil wrath of the media, sworn enemy of people who had to keep their abilities secret. Anyway, this gave everyone a chance to go and talk the newly awakened Feliciano. Well, expect for Gilbert and Ludwig, who their grandfather refused to let them—

"Ow."

Everyone looked over at Lovino who glanced up from the papers in hand. "Paper cut," he said simply before he popped his injured index finger into his mouth and handed his brother charts back to Berwald. Why he had asked for them in the first place he wasn't really sure. Feliciano blinked at the nurse, only just now realizing he was there, before he looked to Matthew.

"Wasn't he the one we saw at the theatre? The nervous one?" He asked and the blond nodded.

"Yes, he's...um..." Matthew paused as he glanced back at the larger male, wondering how he should phrase it. "...a very good friend of mine."

Feliciano brightened up at that and he seemed to look at the scary Swede in a new light. "Oh! Hello Mr. Nurse!" He heard out his hand for the other to shake. For a bit, Berwald just stared down at it before he looked up at it's owner.

"I can't t'uch ya'," he stated bluntly before he looked back down at Feliciano's chart. The teen looked hurt as he retracted his hand.

"Don't take it personally, aru," Yao quickly assured. "He just doesn't want to resister you."

Feliciano blinked. "Resister...? But I don't have an ability."

Glancing down at his paper cut and then towards his brother Lovino reached over and touched his bare forearm. Feliciano gave out a small noise of pain before he looked down at his index finger, where a paper cut had suddenly appeared.

"You have one now," Lovino said as he looked down at his now uninjured finger. Alfred, who most of the staff had forgotten they had thrown out and had just walked back in, released a small noise of excitement before he muttering something about how cool that was. He was ignored.

"You got it so you can save that potato basta—" Lovino stopped himself when the others large fearful eyes turned to him. "I mean...Ludwig."

"'Save Ludwig?'" Feliciano repeated, sea green practically exploding from him. "Why? What? Did Ludwig get hurt? Is he okay? _What happened?"_

Everyone turned to each other before they looked back to the panicking Italian.

"Um..." Matthew began awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Feliciano...What was the last thing you remember before you woke up?"

Feliciano just stared at him, looking like it took a while before he fully comprehended his words. He slumped and looked away at nothing as he thought back. "...We were at the theatre...Then there was flicking lamppost and then..." His brows ceased and he pursed his lips as he tried hard to remember. "...A ladder. There was a broken ladder but that's...That's all I can remember."

Again, everyone turned to each other, silently debating on who should be the one to break the news to the poor confused teen. Finally, Yao sighed. "Alright, aru," he said before he gently pushed Lovino to the side and took his place closest to Feliciano. "A lot has happened since then an—"

A faint buzzing interrupted him and Matthew blushed in slight embarrassment when everyone turned to him. "Sorry," he quickly apologized before he pulled out his phone and quickly read the text.

_From: GilAWESOME  
__Message: Maaattt gramps finally went cum tell me bout feli im roonnleyyy_

Matthew re-read the text with a raised eyebrow. Gilbert, what the hell? Still, he looked to the other people in the room. "It's from Gilbert," he stated. "Is it okay if...?"

Yao nodded and Feliciano blinked at him. "Gil? He's not hurt too, is he?"

Matthew pretended he didn't hear him as he left the room. He wasn't exactly sure where Yao had lead him before when they went to Gilbert's room but he tried the best he could to retrace his steps. He rounded a corner and blinked at the random doctors that just seemed to be loitering around one room in particular. Glancing at the door, he recognized the name 'Beilschmidt'. Yep, this was his room alright.

Feeling a bit awkward just walking in, he went towards the nearest doctor. "Um...Excuse me, is it alright if I go inside?"

The doctor turned and gave him a brief look over before raising an eyebrow. "And you are...?"

"I'm a...um...I'm a friend of Gilbert's."

The female continued to stare at him, making the blond increasing nervous. "Sorry, kid. The grandfather says no one besides family and nurses." She turned away before she mumbled something mostly to herself. "Even I want in on this..."

Matthew blinked before he looked back at the door and made a face. Well gee Gilbert, way to call him for nothing. He was just about to pull out his phone to text him back when a plump nurse poked her head out the door.

"Matthew Williams?" She called.

Matthew looked up. "Y-Yes, that's me."

She smiled before she mentioned for him to come inside. Matthew blinked before he glanced at the doctor beside him though looked away when he saw her glaring at him. Suddenly feeling guilty for no reason he quickly entered the room. The women smiled at him and gently closed the door behind them.

Gilbert was there laying on the bed, looking blankly at something off to the side. He looked a bit out of it, like he was in his own little world. Matthew was just about to announce his existence before the nurse gently pushed on his back to urge him forward.

"Gilbert? I brought a little someone for you, sweetie."

At this Gilbert broke out of his daze and looked over. His face lit up when he saw his Canadian friend and he sat up. "Mattie!" He cried, pulling the other into a hug when he got close enough.

Matthew blushed at the sudden display of affection, not used to such things from the Prussian. "G-Gil what are you—"

"Just play along," Gilbert whispered in his ear, pulling him closer to his half clothed body. Matthew couldn't help but blush more but chose not to say anything. The nurse 'aw'd at them.

"I'll just leave you two alone for now. Just holler if you need me, okay?"

Gilbert lifted his head from Matthew's shoulder just enough to smile at the women. "Thanks Anna, you're awesome."

She giggled at the compliment, looking back once more at the males before she left the room. Making sure she was gone, Gilbert let go of the blond and relaxed back into the bed. "Sorry 'bout that. I had to convince her that we're in some kind of forbidden relationship that my gramps doesn't approve of so that you can get in...Hell this stupid place is starting to feel like a prison..."

Though he didn't want to admit it, he felt a small ping of disappointment but he didn't know why. Matthew quickly pushed it away. "I'm sorry. This is all because of me..."

Gilbert dismissed the apology with a wave of his hand. "Don't apologize for helping with the pain. Just tell me what's up." He pushed himself up and sat cross legged on the bed so that he could put his full attention to the Canadian. "So what the hell is going on? You healed me, and now Feli's awake."

Oh, right...Matthew looked down at his hands as he thought about how to phrase the events of the last few hours. Truthfully, even he didn't understand what happened either. Still, he did deserve an explanation. "Um, Gil, have you...Have you ever heard of something called 'connections?'"

Gilbert rose an eyebrow. "Well, yeah but I don't see what that has to do wi—" His eyes went wide and he slapped a hand over his mouth when he put the pieces together. "Oh _shit! _You don't mean..." His eyes sparkled with excitement and he removed his hand to reveal his smile. "You _do! _Holy shit, Matt!" He reached over and grabbed onto the Canadian's shoulders, shaking him in his excitement. "_Holy fucking Jesus, Matt!"_

Matthew pushed him away to stop his shaking, a growing dread in his chest. "I-It's not that big a deal. It was just a one time—"

"'Not that big a deal?'" Gilbert repeated incredulously, stopping the blond mid excuse. "Do you know how fucking _rare_ it is to make a connection?"

Matthew stiffened and bit his bottom lip, not liking how intense the Prussian suddenly was. "Um...Yao said it was rare but—"

"_Four."_

There was silence as Gilbert stared at him as if that simple number would suddenly cause Matthew to understand everything. Of course, it only served to make him more confused.

"...Four?" Matthew repeated, unsure. The albino physically deflated with a sigh, looking at the other as if silently asking him why he wasn't as excited as he was.

"Yeah, Matt. _Four. _Only _four_ people in the _world_ have been able to make connections."

He smiled when he saw Matthew's eyes widen, though it wasn't with the emotion he thought it was. "Yeah, there was this chick from Russia I think, could control people when they were sleeping. Creepy, but she could make connections. Then, there's this guy in Norway, who I met by the way, weird kid, anyway, he...He just sees creatures, whatever it's common, but _he_ can make connections. Then there's this other girl in...Some country in Africa, can't remember it's not that important, _she _can make connections. Then there's this other guy from...Portugal I think. Or it might have been Brazi—"

"Stop, just...Please."

Gilbert blinked as he watched the shaken Canadian lower himself into the chair beside the bed and cover his face with his good hand, letting out deep sigh to try and calm himself. He clearly was not as excited as that talk was supposed to make him. "Uh, Matt, you oka—"

"No, I'm not okay," Matthew snapped, letting his arms thump to his legs as he looked up at Gilbert with a helpless expression. "I can barely control my own ability! Now I have to worry...Have to worry about hurting someone with _another _ability!" He paused to release another shaky breath to try and stop himself from hyperventilating. He looked down at his lap and tried to speak in a quieter, steady tone. "I don't want...This. I never wanted...This. I just want to be..."

"Normal?"

He looked up at Gilbert to see him looking to the side away from him, his jaw set and face serious. "We've all felt like that, don't think you're special. You really think having to keep this big a secret from so many people is fun for us? You think it's fun having to wear sweaty gloves twenty four seven because I'm afraid of what I'll learn about some people?"

"Gil—"

"There! Fine! I said it! My ability scares me!" He looked over at Matthew, now annoyed. "It scares the _fuck_ out of me but I don't focus on that shit! I focus on what I can do with it to get through my life! I'm running out of nice things to say to you, Matt. You want my advice? You're powerful, suck it up and _fucking_ _deal with it._"

Silence settled over the two as they looked at each other, Gilbert panting lightly after his tirade. Matthew couldn't help but stare at the Prussian, his eyes wide. He didn't know what he was feeling. He didn't know what he _should _be feeling. All he knew was that Gilbert had said he was scared. Gilbert, the self proclaimed most awesome person in the world. The guy who said that being afraid was far too _unawesome_ an emotion to feel but he felt it. He was...He was as afraid as he was...

Standing, he reached up and grabbed onto Gilbert's face before forcing their lips together. Not missing a beat Gilbert wrapped his arms around the smaller Canadian and pulled him onto the bed on top of him, letting them fall back onto the bed with a thump. He let out a noise of pain, the contact aggravating the burns that had yet to heal but it was quickly forgotten when he felt Matthew's hand rake through his hair and rest on his neck, trying to push his head closer to deepen the kiss. Shit, he didn't know the blond could be so forceful. Well then, two can play at that game. Reaching down he placed a hand on Matthew's ass and gave it a firm squeeze. The blond let out a small noise and tried to pull away but Gilbert entangled his other hand into his hair, keeping him in place. Oh, yes, this was _way_ better than what he had imagined their first kiss to—

"_Alfred!" _

_Rain continued to pound into him as ran against it, trying to will his short legs to take him faster than he was going. A flash of lighting illuminated the streets for the briefest of seconds, just enough to tell him he was far from his own street by now. The crack of thunder that soon followed reminded him that he should be inside, that the longer he was out here the higher the chance of him getting struck but he didn't care. His Papa was wrong, Alfred wasn't gone. Alfred _couldn't_ be gone. He was right beside him just hours ago, no one could disappear that fast._

"_Alfred!"_

_He tripped and fell on the wet sidewalk. The tears already falling down his face only increasing as pain shot through the side of his face. His first thought was to just lay there, lay there and wait for his father to find him. Lay there and accept that fact that Alfred was probably long gone by now._

_Another crack of thunder, and he was back on his feet and running, almost as if trying to get away from the storm. He couldn't stop looking now. Alfred had always talked about being his hero and being there to protect him. Now it was his turn to be the hero. He had to bring him back._

"_Alfred!"_

Gilbert pushed Matthew off of him and swung his legs over the bed, leaning on his knees as he breathed heavily. His body was shaking and a light sweat has broken out across his forehead. Shit, that memory was so vivid. _Too_ vivid. He ran a hand over his face as he constantly told himself that his own brother was just in another room, perfectly fine. He felt hands on his shoulders, and he turned to see Matthew looking at him with concern.

"Are you okay?" He asked and Gilbert nodded before he turned away again.

"I think..." He panted, looking down at nothing in particular. "I think I saw the night...The night your Mom took Alfred." He felt the hands that were on his shoulders stiffen before they were retracted.

"O-Oh..." Matthew said simply before the room lapsed into uncomfortable silence. After his breathing had stabilized Gilbert turned so that he was facing the blond. He studied his face for a while, searching for something. Then, he reached over but paused, looking over to Matthew to silently ask his permission. Matthew gave a jerky nod before he turned so that his right was towards the other. Seeing he was allowed, Gilbert brushed the hair away and tucked it behind his ear.

"I got it that night," Matthew explained as Gilbert ran a finger along the faded scar that went past his hairline.

"Is that why you grow out your hair?" Gilbert questioned and Matthew gave another jerky nod.

"Yeah...I know it's a weird reason but..." He gently pushed Gilbert's hand away before he covered up the scar again. "I...I don't like Alfred looking at it..."

It was then that the door all but slammed open, causing both males to jump.

"Feliciano's awake!" Ludwig exclaimed, either not noticing or not caring that the two were having a moment. The males looked over to see the German with probably the largest grin either of them had ever seen on his face. "Come see him!" He called out before he closed the door, leaving the two alone once again.

They both turned and blinked at each other before they started to laugh. Ludwig's happiness must be contagious.

"I should be getting back..." Matthew announced before he slipped off the bed. "Are you going to..."

"Can't," Gilbert answered with a sigh. "I need to stay here and be a test subject. Being a distraction sucks." He pouted—awesomely—and Matthew couldn't help but laugh. There was a pause before the blond awkwardly leaned forward and placed a peak on his cheek.

"I...I'm sorry about what..." He trailed off, not really sure how he should phrase what happened. Gilbert just stared at him before he too leaned forward and and placed a small kiss on his lips.

"It's not your fault," he said with a small smirk. "Even if it was you really made up for it back there."

Matthew turned a bright red and instead of answering he turned and started to walk out of the room.

"I like the way your ass sways when you walk!"

Matthew ran out the door.

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**The thought of Ludwig with this huge grin scares me for some reason.****  
I hope everyone will be leaving 2010 with fond memories! =D**

**Thank you **glassof-wine, Axxi, Silvermoon of Forestclan, XxAlysxX, Blobers, i wrote this song for you, Glimmyfrost7, Cruz-Hime, EmoLollipop, Miss T Hyuga, Luna-Discord, Jou-pup, bombayxprodigy, Randomanime456, xxassassinxx18, Maki-sama, AmfibiefiskenLarry, natcat5, WinterClover, SchemingAlchemist, Zapheil, FrenchFryLovesYou, LoliPear the WaltzQueen, Lately, fan girl 666, MistyLovesSesshomaru, Goopy Sentimentalist, TinyFlame4, cutegixie, Leite Destiny**, **winterdarknessXD, midn13, XxTehSparklepirexX, AmiNozomi, Chocola Emo Shizzle, Berry Doyle, Sakima Hebi, AoiTatsu, koosei, HerDiary, IfLifeHadWings, Fierce Kitten, Apollo Pompano, italiachick13, Blot-of-Blood, MatthewKirklandWilliams, xXRenegadexWolfXx, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, Miss Trim, Happedaez** and **stabbythings **for the reviews!**

**Thank you all ssssooo much for reading!  
**


	37. Start

**Hey guys! Kitty29 here with a new chapter of Colours(FIRST CHAPTER OF THE YYEEEEAAARRRR-A!(2011-A))! Now a few things before you read on (Oh nooooo...)**

**So I recently found that my story is in the community '**100+ Milestone' **and I guess it was kind of time or whatever with my story over 800 reviews but when I saw that I nearly cried. I probably would have cried if I have a soul, but as you all know I'm actually an android made to write horrible fanfiction and does in fact have no soul. You guys know that, right?  
Anyway, I think it was either a little before of after I started this story, I remember discovering that community and thinking 'one day. ONE DAY. I will read a story in the community cause there is no way one of mine is getting in there .-.'**

**Well, **_**IN MY FACE. HA**_**.**

**Right, anyway. Enjoy.  


* * *

**"Ludwig I...I'm scared."

The German looked down at the Italian with concern. It was the first time the two of them had been alone together since Feliciano had woken up and Ludwig wanted to savour it (though he would never admit it). They were sitting on the bed now, Feliciano laying against Ludwig's chest with a blanket wrapped around his body, now horrified of the thought of skin to skin contact. Gilbert had acted that way too, once upon a time but it went away. Then again, did he really want the Italian to turn out like his egomaniac of a brother?

Ludwig released a small sigh through his nose before he awkwardly wrapped his arms around the smaller man and rested his chin on his head. A position that the auburn haired had done to him a number of times. He hoped his lame attempt at it would have the effect he wanted. "It's...Going to be okay."

Feliciano made a small noise but made no move to get the larger man off him. Awkward silence settled over the two.

"Does it hurt?" Was all Ludwig could think of breaking the silence. Feliciano paused before he let go of the blanket with one hand and ran it over his 'bullet wound'. He winced sightly at the contact.

"A...A bit..." He answered, pulling the blanket tighter around him again. "Stitches feel weird, ve..."

The room took on silence again and Ludwig was left looking down at his friend. This wasn't Feliciano. Feliciano was bubbly and cheerful and saw the bright side of everything, no matter how horrible it seemed. It may have been selfish to think, especially since the Italian had just woken up to a world of confusion but...He wanted that Feliciano back. If only there was something he could d—

"Hey, West, you need t—" Gilbert paused at the doorway and smirked at the scene. "Oh. Didn't mean to mess up your mojo, brother."

Ludwig lifted up his head just enough to narrow his eyes at the intruder but didn't move his arms away. "Easten, if you're trying to run awa—"

"For once, I'm being a good boy," Gilbert interrupted, fully stepping into the room. "Nurse sent me to tell you to get back to your room so they can make sure you're not dead yet."

Ludwig stared at his brother for a while, studying his face to make sure he wasn't lying. When he figured he wasn't the blond released another sigh before he unwrapped himself from the smaller form and went to climb off the bed. He stopped when he felt someone grab onto his shirt sleeve, turning he saw back Feliciano's large brown eyes staring back at him. Ludwig moved to place a hand over the others reassuringly but paused and let his hand fall back to his side with a small grunt.

"I'll be back," he said instead. Feliciano continued to stare before he reluctantly let go and watched the larger man leave with his brother in tow.

"You know, if you need some pointers on picking up cute Italians you know who to ask," Gilbert said with a faint laugh. Ludwig sent him a sideways glare and Gilbert raised his hand in front of him in a surrounding gesture. "I was gonna say the pizza guy!"

"Why are you following me?" Ludwig asked, hoping that the dull ache in the back of his skull was because of his mediation wearing off and not because of his darling relative.

"Can't I be concerned about my little brother? I want to make sure you don't get raped or something on the way back to your room because I love you."

Ludwig stopped walking for the faintest of moments at those last three words before he groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. Yes, it was Gilbert that was causing this. "What do you want?"

Gilbert looked offended. "You think the awesome me can only show compassion when I want something? That hurt, West. My feelings are damag—"

"_What do you want, _East?"

Gilbert slumped and gave the taller blond an annoyed look. "Fine, I need a favour."

Ludwig grunted in acknowledgement as he opened the door to his room and entered, not surprised when the Prussian did the same. He went over to the bed and sat down on the edge, Gilbert soon settling down next to him.

"Just, don't be a bitch and freak out when I ask this, 'kay? Cause that would be really unawesome if you don't hear me out."

Ludwig nodded, noting the sudden serious look on his brothers face. As serious as _Gilbert _could get anyway. The elder of the two sighed before he decided to just dive into it.

"I need you to make out with me."

Silence.

Ludwig just stared, his expression rather straight as if he wasn't just asked to commit an act of incest. "...How much did you get to say that?"

"No! I didn't—" Gilbert groaned and threw his hands up in the air in an exasperated matter and Ludwig ached an eyebrow. What the hell was _he _so flustered about?

The albino sighed and ran a hand through his hair, a faint pink on his cheeks. "I think," he started, his tone unsure. "I think I can stop my ability from happening...While I'm touching someone."

At this, the German grew interested. "Really?"

Gilbert nodded, his familiar smirk back on his face. "Yep! It was only a matter of time before the awesome me found a way!" He chuckled, but it quickly trailed off when he recalled the reason why he was there in the first place. "Yeah, I'm awesome but it still needs some testing. That's where you come in, my of so loving bruder."

Upon realizing that Gilbert wasn't joking with his request, Ludwig scooted away from the other. "C-Can't you get someone else to do it?" He questioned with slight panic, his eye intent on his sibling in case he tried to do anything.

Gilbert shook his head, a sudden intense look in his eye that Ludwig was not liking. "No, it _has_ to be you. I frinkin' live with you, I know everything about you! So even I get some info it will probably be something I already know!" At the end of his mini speech Gilbert had managed to chase his younger brother to the other side of the bed and now had him pinned between himself and the wall behind it. "So be a good brother and _pucker up_!"

Gilbert swooped down but Ludwig pushed his face away. "_Gilbert!_ Stop this right now!"

"_Just suck it up and be a man Ludwig_!"

"_This is just embarrassing!"_

"Um..."

The brothers stopped and looked over at the entrance of the room to find Matthew standing there looking like he didn't know how to to react to the scene in front of him. Ludwig turned red before he pushed his brother completely off him and climbed off the bed, glaring at the albino. Gilbert glanced between his brother and Matthew, a pink tinge on his face.

"Uh...I was just..." Gilbert began awkwardly, beginning to shuffle over to the room's exit. "Leaving now, 'kay bye!"

"Gil, wait!" Matthew tried to call out but the Prussian was already gone. A small sigh escaped him before looked back at the awkward German, forcing a small smile. "S-Sorry I came at a bad time..."

Ludwig just shook his head before he looked at the shorter male, wanting any distraction that could get his mind off of what just happened. His eyes immediately drew to the object in Matthew's hands. "You got your cast off."

Matthew shifted the object to his right hand and waved his now somewhat healed left hand with a smile. "Yeah. It's still a little stiff but..." He shook his head to remind himself why he was there and began to walk up to Ludwig. "Anyways, um...I was wondering if you could do me a favour? If-If that's okay..."

Ludwig blinked at the other, rather curious as to what he wanted. It was the first time that the blond had ever asked him for anything. Matthew hold out his removed cast for him to take, which he did.

"I was, um, wondering if you could translate something for me? The one written in red..."

Ludwig rotated the object until he found the mentioned writing. Almost instantly he was able to recognize the writing and he couldn't help the small laugh that escaped him as he read it over. "Gilbert wrote this?"

Matthew seemed to hesitate with his answer, wondering if he should tell him or not. Though he realized that as his brother he could probably recognize his writing. "...Yeah, it was Gilbert."

Another chuckle passed through his lips when as he read it over again and handed the cast back to it's owner. "Cute."

Now Matthew was really curious. "What does it say?"

Crossing his arms Ludwig smiled, though it wasn't really towards the blond. "Basically, it says that 'the awesome him will always be your better hero.'" Ludwig chuckled again and mumbled something mostly to himself. "And he says I'm the pansy."

Matthew tried to fight it, but he couldn't help the faint upturn of his lips when he heard that. Though it had only been two days since he and Gilbert's...Interactions he's had the feeling that the Prussian had been avoiding him. He wasn't responding to any of his texts and when they ran into each other—which was pretty often considering they were both at the hospital—Gilbert would walk the other way as if he didn't see him. Matthew was ashamed to say that at first he thought that maybe Gilbert had realized that he didn't want anything to do with him and was avoiding confrontation. Though if he had written something like _that_ on his cast for everyone to see—even though people couldn't read it—then he was probably wrong.

He thanked Ludwig before he left, leaving him to the nurse that had walked in to check on his stitches. He was barely a few steps away from the door when his phone went off. He immediately picked it up, as he had forgotten to take the volume off high and he didn't want to disturb anyone.

"Bonjour?" He mentally kicked himself. "I-I mean, hello?"

"_Hello Matvey."_

"Oh! Hi Ivan!"

Noticing some chairs placed against the wall he walked over and sat down. He was kind of curious as to what Ivan had to say. Though they had exchanged numbers over a month ago this was the first time that the Russian had called him.

"_There wasn't anything good on TV so I decided to call, da?"_

Ah, he probably should have expected as much.

"_Are you at the hospital?"_

"Y-Yeah. I just my cast off actually."

"_Oh, yay! Good for you, comrade!"_

Matthew let out a reluctant, awkward laugh, not sure if the others enthusiastic answer was mocking him but not wanting to be rude. There was brief silence where the Canadian heard Ivan faintly humming along to some music in the background. "I didn't know you liked classical music."

"_Hm? Oh yes, people think I'm too big to enjoy it, but I really do. I also play the cello but some people don't like the way I play._"

"Huh." Was all Matthew could think of saying in response. He didn't know why, but there was something about imagining the large man seated behind the large instrument that was somehow...Right. Hm.

"_Is Elizabeta there?" _Ivan randomly asked, quite effectively changing the subject.

Matthew blinked. "Eh? No. I hadn't seen her."

Ivan made a disappointed noise. "_Hm, she should be there."_

"W-Well, I can keep an eye out for her if you want..."

"_Ah, you'll do that for me? Thank you, comrade! Okay, bye!" _And with that Ivan hung up, leaving Matthew sitting there dumbly as the dial tone rang in his ear. He had probably thought this more than once but his teacher was _weird._

"Hey Mattie!"

Turning towards the familiar voice he spotted Alfred waving at him, a large grin on his face as he made his way over. "Al!" Matthew said in surprise as he stood to greet his twin. "What are you doing here? I thought you were spending the day with Yong Soo."

Alfred shrugged. "I was but Yong Soo had to go somewhere. Something about helping a friend or something." He pouted and crossed his arms. "For a guy who's only been here for a few months he really knows a lot of people." He pouted at the Canadian when he laughed at him. "Anyway, since I'm here we can go back home if you want."

"What about Papa?" Matthew asked, as his father was planning to pick him up after he was done work.

"I talked to him, he said that since I'm a hero I can protect you on the way back!" Alfred proclaimed with his heroic grin and Matthew just rolled his eyes before they starting walking towards the exit. "Oh! By the way, guess who I saw when I was looking for you?"

"Elizabeta?" Matthew wondered, just naming the first person that came to mind. Alfred blinked at him.

"Yeah, at least, I think that's her name. The one at the club with the long brown hair and the nice rack, right?"

Matthew shuttered at his description before he turned to his twin with a faint blush on his face. "_No! _I-I mean, yes I-I guess. Why would you describe her like_ that_?"

Alfred smirked at Matthew's overreaction. "I only tell the truth! Seriously though, have you looked at her tits? If she couldn't make me beat myself up I would totally sneak a fee—" He paused when he noticed his brothers increasing discomfort with the conversation. "Oh right, sorry. Forgot you were only attracted to people with flat chests and big dic—"

"So what was Liz doing here?" Matthew quickly interrupted, feeling if his face got any hotter he could probably make breakfast on it. Feeling as if he had teased him enough, Alfred allowed the change in subject.

"I don't know," he said with a shrug. "I tried to talk to her, but when she saw me she just...Ran. It was weird."

Matthew raised an eyebrow. "Huh. I wonder why she would do that..." He paused before he reached into his pocket to pull out his phone.

"Who are ya' texting?" Alfred enquired as he pushed the doors open that allowed them to leave the building.

"Ivan," Matthew answered, pausing in his typing to make sure the door didn't swing back and hit him. "I said I would tell him if I saw Liz."

Alfred made a noise of understanding. There was a pause for a second or two before his eyes went wide. "_NO!"_ He suddenly shrieked, over dramatically swatting the phone out of his brothers hands and to the ground.

"_Oh my god, Al!"_ Matthew also shrieked, watching in horror as his phone bounced against the concrete. "_What the hell?_ I just got that phone!"

"No time for apologizes!" Alfred proclaimed as Matthew swooped down to pick it up. "Seriously bro, for the supposed smarter twin you're kinda dumb."

The supposed smarter twin stopped checking out his phone to glare at him. "What are you _talking_ about?"

"Think about it, Matt. Your teacher asks if whats-her-name is at the hospital and then I see her looking like she doesn't want anyone to recognize her!" He paused to stare at Matthew and wait for him to put the pieces together. "Is this not _suspicious_ to you?"

"You're thinking too much into it," Matthew said, relieved when he found his phone was okay. "She probably told Ivan she was coming here and didn't want anyone else to know."

"Then why would he call _you?"_

"Because she probably forgot her phone and Ivan needed to talk to her about something, seriously Alfred!" Matthew groaned and rubbed his forehead. "This isn't any of our business! If it makes you feel better I won't tell him until we get home but I _am_ going to tell him!"

Alfred turned away and crossed his arms, pouting angrily at nothing. "I still think it's suspicious."

"_Alfred!_"

"_Fine_," he agreed, though he didn't look happy about it. "Geez you're such a Mom."

Matthew just rolled his eyes before he continued walking, Alfred following shortly after. "You are such a passive aggressive typical compromise making Canadian."

"Shut up."

* * *

**I really like writing Alfred teasing Matthew and I don't know why. I'm still awkward at writing Ludwig, but I'm trying! Also I'm not into any incest pairings(Unless FrUk counts as incest...forever disbelieving) but that scene with Gil and Luddy just...It made me laugh to imagine. xD  
**

**Anyway, I think that starting this year updates are going to become a bit irregular for two reasons. 1) It's the start of a new saga that I still haven't worked out all the kinks to and 2) Cause I'm gonna be moving soon and not sure when I'll get internet up/on the computer again. Hopefully by next month but I might be able to get a chapter up before then. Yep.**

**Anyway, thank you **Cruz-Hime, natcat5, Glimmyfrost7, SchemingAlchemist, Miss T Hyuga, , Mayurei 13, WinterClover, Jou-pup, Luna-Discord, Monochrome Cloud, Spockie, crackberries, Randomanime456, Goopy Sentimentalist, Chocola Emo Shizzle, Sakima Hebi, HappeDaez, marble-fire, LoliPear the WaltzQueen, Ayla The Librarian, A Bleach-Drinking Hetalian, HerDiary, Jocelyn, fan girl 666, Maki-sama, Silvermoon of Forestclan, ninjafox369, stabbythings, italiachick13, Ember, Leite Destiny, XxAlysxX, Starfox1996, akamaru2112, glassof-wine, Berry Doyle, XxTehSparklepirexX, MatthewKirklandWilliams, PyroScorpion, Fierce Kitten, Music Is Meh Life, Fire Demoness Jaganshi, FrenchFryLovesYou, Angie-Chan666, Axxi, Sakuya Nanako, Hinatacg, Italiangurlinamessedupworld **and **Miss Trim **for the reviews!**

**Thank you all for reading and onward to the new yeaarr!**


	38. Boyfriend

**Hey guys, Kitty29 here with a new chapter of Colours! I'm almost sad to post this chapter. I mean, it's at 888 reviews. That has to be good luck or something, right? Right.  
**

**Pst, I remember thinking I had so much to say before this chapter but honestly...I can't remember any of it xD  
****The character of Malaysia or Raiman, belongs to **ArisaLyeanna **not me**.

**Oh well, enjoy!  
**

* * *

It was really quite pathetic he was here. Then again, it was really quite pathetic that he was in this situation in the first place.

Heaving a sigh Francis raised his head out of his hands and looked around at the church. It was rather empty, probably due to the fact it was so late at night. He was actually surprised that the place was even open at this time, or were they always open? Jesus, it's been so long since he's gone he doesn't even remember anymore. Why was he here again? Ah, right...

He was long over forgiving Arthur. The Englishman may have betrayed him in a way, but the way he acted wasn't exactly great either. If that was the only problem he would probably be at home in his bed with his arms wrapped around his husband but that wasn't it. The problem was...It was his own fuck up. It was...her.

"Colette. You would follow me even into this sacred place?"

The women seated beside him looked offended. "I come here all the time. If anything you're following me."

Francis sighed again and crossed his arms, closing his eyes and silently praying for the red head to leave him be. "This place is a three hour drive from your apartment and you told me yourself you don't believe in God."

Colette blinked before she thought back. "Oh, right. I forgot about that."

Figuring it wasn't his place to try and kick her out of a church Francis tried ignored her the best he could. Though Colette wasn't done with him yet.

"Okay, fine. I followed you here. I've been following you for the last week or so but I think you knew that already."

Of course he did. A ninja, she was not. Not to mention he had confronted her a couple of times as well.

"...I just have something to say before I stop."

That caught Francis' attention. He turned his head just enough to show he was listening but that was it.

"What happened between us, it wasn't a mistake."

Yes it was.

"And I think if you really loved Arthur or if he really loved you, the two of you would be back together by now."

He would be if he wasn't for her.

"So...You a choice to make. A choice between the man who _betrayed _you or me."

At that Francis wouldn't help but turn and look at her fully. Was she serious? Dear God, she was serious.

"And If I were you..." Colette paused and closed her eyes, wondering if she should say the next few words or leave it at that. She fully turned to him as well, her face the most serious the Frenchman had ever seen it. "I would do it soon."

With that Colette rose and simply walked away, leaving Francis to watch her go warily.

/ / / \ \ \

"Okay, so Tom's a tool, whatever, but apparently Daisy's white car in the flashback is symbolic or something. You think we should know this, Mattie?"

"..."

"_Mattie!"_

Matthew broke out of his gaze and blinked at the other. "O-oh...well...um..." His cheeks turned a light pink as he looked down at the review sheet in front of him. "W-Well it was because Fitzgerald saw the era as—"

Alfred groaned and leaned back in his chair, looking exasperated. "We're _way _past that, bro!"

"We're on thirteen," Raiman offered, leaning his head in his hand as he idly chewed on the end of his pen. Matthew blinked again before he looked down at his notes. Huh, had they really gone through that many? Well, apparently he wrote down the answers for the others so...erm.

It was the last class of the day, English, which was also the only class that he shared with his brother. Since exams were nearing, the teacher decided today would be a review class, which basically meant that as long as you had a sheet of paper and the handout in front of you you could do whatever you wanted. Though because Matthew was away from school for so long, he figured he should actually do the work and for once Alfred actually decided to help him rather than move to the back of the class and sneak food while being his usual loud self. They started out great, but it was slowly nearing the end of class and Matthew found himself zoning out more and more often.

"Seriously Mattie, for once I'm actually doing work and you can't even concentrate!" Alfred exclaimed, crossing his arms in annoyance. "What the hell! If anything it should be the other way around!"

"Sorry! Sorry!" Matthew rapidly apologized, pulling the review sheet closer to himself and looking over the questions. "S-So um, about that green light..."

Raiman glanced over at the Canadian and sighed, knowing that in the others state they weren't going to get much more work done. He would just have to do it at home he supposed. "Is this about Gilbert?"

At that, Matthew's face turned red and he stumbled over his words as he tried to explain himself. "W-What? I don't, I mean, why would, but Gil isn't, _no! _Maybe, well I don't, I do but...but I don't see what, how did you even...? So, I think Daisy's car symbolized innocence, eh!"

Alfred, being able to decipher his brothers messed up sentence structure, groaned again though this one was with slight anger. "This is about that freak? What did he do this time?"

Almost instantly at this point Matthew began to defend him. "N-No! Gil didn't do anything! He's just—"

"I'm gonna beat him up."

Both Raiman and Matthew stared at the rather set American. "W-What?"

"You heard me," Alfred said, trying to put on his game face but just looking a little ridiculous. "This is the last time he messes with _my _kid brother!"

"Three minutes apart doesn't mean I can't take care of myself!"

"Three minutes makes me the older brother and I got to protect my sidekick like the hero I am!"

"So...We're not doing this anymore?" Raiman tried to clarify, gesturing to the work sheets in front of them. He was ignored.

"I'm not your sidekick, Al! So don't hurt my boyf—"

"Alfred! Matthew! Raiman!"

The three looked up at their respective names to find that they have gained the attention of a number of people in the classroom, including the teacher. "Do I need to break you three up?"

The three mumbled negatives and everyone returned to talking amongst themselves.

"Wait, were you about to say that Gilbert was your _boyfriend_?" Alfred exclaimed in a quieter tone, though it still seemed to hold the same effect as if he was shouting. Matthew turned away and began to fumble with the hem of his shirt.

"_N-No! _I-I was going to say..._Bourrée! _C-Common mistake, r-r-really..."

Raiman rose an eyebrow. "Isn't a bourrée some kind of dance?"

Matthew sent him a sideways glare and Raiman decided not to get anymore involved. Matthew sighed before he looked to his brother. "Okay, o-okay so, um...Gilbert and I...well...We kissed." He paused to allow his twin to do his normal, overprotective freak out thing but surprising, Alfred said nothing. He just rose an eyebrow at him, silently asking why he had stopped talking. Matthew decided to continue.

"An-And I, um...uh...Think that we're, uh...Together now? Well, I'm not to sure...but I think we are..." Matthew turned away again, trying to quell the blush that was rapidly deepening on his face as the silence dragged on.

Finally, Alfred sighed. "Three, I'm giving him three."

Matthew perked up and turned to him, hopeful. "Chances?"

Alfred nodded, but he didn't look too happy about it. "Yeah, three chances, but that's _it._"

Matthew face lit up at having his brothers approval but Alfred wasn't done quite yet. "But if he does something _really _stupid, I don't care how many chances he has left, I'll just go up to him and _BAM!_" He suddenly yelled, throwing a right hook to the imaginary enemy in front of him. People glanced up at the sudden noise though turned back when they saw it was just Alfred. "He messes with you he messes with _me._"

Matthew couldn't help but feel touched by how much his brother cared for him, even if he was a little extreme. "Thanks, Al."

Alfred grinned at him. "Anytime, bro."

"Bell's going to ring," Raiman announced, looking completely unaffected by the scene as he put away the last of his work.

The blond twins followed his example and mere minutes later the bell symbolizing the end of the school day echoed throughout the building. Following their routine of after school the two went to get their stuff from their lockers before they met outside to walk home together. As they went Alfred began to preach to Matthew about how he should act in a relationship like he was some sort of expert.

"Okay, so, seriously bro, make him pay for everything. _Everything! _You have the cute thing going for you so you should be able to pull it off."

The more he talked the more confused Matthew was becoming. "Cute thing...? Pull _what_ off? And why does he have to pay for everything?"

"Well, cause..." Alfred paused to look over his brother slant, too skinny body and almost unnaturally large doe eyes. "No offence Mattie, but you are definitely going to bottom and it's probably going to hurt, so it's his way of saying 'thanks'."

Matthew took offence. "_What?_ I-I, how could you say something like tha—"

"Meh, kind of have to agree with that."

A small squeak escaped Matthew when he felt arms slink around his waist and pull him backwards, effectively stopping him mid step.

"Hey Matt," Gilbert greeted with a grin after he released the other.

Matthew turned a light pink. "H-Hi Gil..." What was with him? Just yesterday the albino was practically avoiding him and now he was all over him? Geez, mixed signals much?

Gilbert's grin grew before he looked at Alfred, who had also stopped walking and was glaring at him. "Hope you don't mind if I borrow the good looking twin for a bit, do you?"

Alfred's eyes narrowed at the insult though he made no move to stop him. Gilbert took this as a 'yes'. "Cool," he said simply before he swung an arm over Matthew's shoulders and began to lead him away. Or rather, that was the plan.

Matthew found himself being pulled out of Gilbert's hold as Alfred took his place, wasting no time in getting right up in the guys face.

"Listen to me, you freak," he hissed and Gilbert couldn't help but obey. The American had never scared him but he had never seen him so serious before. "You do _anything_ to my brother and I'll rip your fucking balls off, motherfucker."

"Okay, Al, I think he gets it," Matthew said, pulling his brother away from his...er..._special friend. He_ then grabbed Gilbert by the arm and lead them away, the older of the two feeling the glare of the American on his back the whole time, even when they had rounded the corner and nestled themselves into a indent in the schools wall.

"Shit, your brother's crazy," Gilbert said, releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding and running a hand through his hair. "Didn't make me want to change what I originally approached you for though."

Matthew titled his head cutely. "And what's tha—"

Before he could finish his sentence Gilbert had bought their lips together. Matthew was ashamed to admit that he melted almost instantly into the kiss. It was just so different from before, so...sweet and...and...Nice.

It was nice but even so he surprised himself when he let out a small noise of disappointment when the other pulled away. Immediately he felt his cheek heat up in embarrassment and he hoped the other didn't hear him. Gilbert's chuckle killed that hope.

"I like this part."

"Which part?" Matthew asked, though he couldn't bring himself to look directly at him.

Gilbert brought a finger under his chin and forced him to look at his smirking face. "The part when I can do that and not get slapped."

Matthew felt his face grow hotter and he blurted out the first thing that popped into his mind. "I want to be your boy toy!" His blush deepened ten fold when he realized what he said and Gilbert just blinked at him with wide eyes. "I-I-I mean _boyfriend_! Boyfriend!"

Gilbert throw back his head and laughed, but then covered his mouth and turned away as he continued to do so, almost as if he didn't want Matthew to see how amused he was. "I-I shouldn't laugh so hard," he managed between laughs. "'Cause I know we're about to have the unawesome r-relationship talk but- but still! Y-_You_...! _Mein gott_!" With that he began to laugh even harder, bringing his hands to his knees as tears actually fell down his face.

Matthew wished that this was one of those times when after a few moments he would over come his own embarrassment and join in on the laughing but it really wasn't. This, was one of the those times when he turned away from the guy he liked and pressed his forehead against the brick wall there, trying to hide his burning face from Gilbert as well as anyone that happened to pass by (which wasn't many people, as they were on a the awkward side of school that didn't have any doors leading in or out). Great, good job, Williams, three sentences in and you've already embarrassed yourself in front of a guy you're actually attracted to! Stupid! _Stupid!_

It was several minutes before he felt someone tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Gilbert looking back at him, not laughing anymore but carrying a stupid grin that looked like he would just start snickering at anytime. "Right, so, if I just say yes to the boy toy thing can we skip this talk?" He asked just before he broke out into nerdy sounding giggles, making Matthew double take.

He had never _ever_ heard the Prussian ever laugh like..._that. _It was such the opposite of the 'awesome' front that he put on that it was ridiculous. Matthew didn't know wither to to be amused or honoured that the other would allow him to hear such an unflattering laugh. In he end he decided to just put the whole laugh thing behind him. Instead he gave Gilbert an unimpressed stare. He just hoped that it still held the effect he wanted, even with his cheeks being a shade that would make even red jealous. It seemed to work, for Gilbert's unfaltering giggles slowly began to fade until a small frown had appeared on his face.

"Okay, fine." He gave in, raising his hands in a defeated gesture. "We'll do the talk, so ask your question."

Matthew immediately drove into it, though he couldn't bring himself to look directly at the Prussian as he did. "So, um...Are we...together now?"

Gilbert sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "Well, being able to make out with you is pretty awesome, even if I can't do it for long," Gilbert started, pausing to send a cocky smirk towards Matthew, who was now trying harder to get his blasted blush under control. "And there has been raging sexual tension between us for the last two months." He smiled when that had earned him a small laugh. "But."

Matthew's smile vanished.

"You know, I'm not really into this whole...Relationship status high school bullshit." He looked to the blond as if expecting him to understand everything based on that lame explanation.

He didn't. "...What are you saying?"

Gilbert shrugged. "Good friends with benefits?"

Matthew couldn't help the sinking feeling in his stomach as soon as he heard those words. Friends with benefits...? It wasn't as if he was in love with the Prussian or anything but even so he kind of hoped that they could...maybe...Have a _real_ relationship? Friends with benefits just sounded so...Distant. But if that was what Gilbert wanted...

He slowly nodded, his gaze on the floor. "O-Okay..." He agreed, though he couldn't hide the dejection in his tone.

Gilbert frowned before he titled his head so he could see the Canadian's face. "I was kidding."

Matthew looked up and blinked. "E-Eh?"

Gilbert groaned before he reached up and pushed Matthew's cheeks together. "C'mon! What happened to the 'grab my face lets make out right now' Matt from just two days ago?"

The blush that Matthew thought he has under control flared up again at the memory.

"C'mon! If this is gonna be any fun you gonna put up _some_ resistance! I may be awesome but that doesn't mean _all _my decisions will make us bothhappy!" He paused. "Don't tell Ludwig I said that."

Matthew reached up and pulled Gilbert's gloved hands off his face. "W-Wait, so, you _don't _want to be friends with benefits?"

"Pst, _no,_" Gilbert said as if it was obvious. "Friends with benefits is what I had with Feliks and that was the worst three months of my life. Oh, right I used to go out with the cross dresser or whatever, but I'm sure he's told you that."

Yes, he had though honestly at the moment Matthew didn't care for the reason Gilbert didn't want to be beneficial friends. What mattered was that that wasn't what they were going to become.

"What does that make u—" Then, remembering that Gilbert wanted him to be more aggressive, tried again. "I mean, you're my boyfriend now...right?"

Instead of answering, Gilbert just smiled before he brought their lips back together again. In his mind Matthew happily assumed that was a yes.

"Oh. My. God."

The males turned to see a trio of girls gawking at them, one even snapping pictures on her phone. One of the females turned and slapped another on the shoulder before she pointed at the couple.

"I _told _you!" She exclaimed. "I _told _you he had a serious case of gay face!"

"My god, Gilbert's going out with the guy who shot his brother!" Said the girl that was now typing something feverishly down on her phone. "This is so fucking scandalous I'm actually light headed!"

Seeing Matthew's obvious discomfort Gilbert sighed before he began towards the females and made shooing motions with his hands. "Go away you fucking pigeons," he said and the girls left in a giggling mess. He sighed again and put with hands on his hips. "Well, any plan you had of being discreet with this is gone now." Gilbert stated, but he didn't really sound as if that was a great loss. "By now those pictures are probably on Facebook, twitter and the less memorable Myspace."

Again that blush crept on his face at the thought of others staring at a picture of him kissing another male but he shrugged. "That's okay," he said simply with a small smile. "Anyway, we should head back. Alfred's been alone for too long."

Gilbert nodded in agreement before he walked back over to the Canadian and threw an arm over his shoulders. It felt a but strange as no one other than Alfred did that to him but he allowed it. It actually felt kind of nice for it to be someone other then his sibling, albeit kind of embarrassing.

"So, tomorrow by brothers getting discharged," Gilbert said nonchalantly as they walked.

Matthew, deciding to focus on the conversation and not the looks they were rapidly gathering, promptly answered. "O-Oh? Well that's good."

Gilbert nodded. "Yeah, it's awesome, whatever. So I was wondering if you wanted to come with me to pick up the guy. 'Cause you know, after we dump the war hero back home we can, I dunno, bask in the awesomeness that is myself in public?"

Ignoring the narcissism, Matthew looked at the other. "Are you asking me on a date?"

Gilbert shrugged. "Well, since we're a couple now or some shit we should act like it. Don't worry. I'll pay for _everything._"

Matthew laughed before he made a disapproving noise in the back of his throat. "I do, I mean, I really want to but I already promised Yao I would help him with his research. I can still come and pick up Ludwig with you though."

"Hm, alright. Forgot that Yao would probably be all over you cause of that connections thing."

Matthew chose to remain silent about that. Truthfully, he thought that the connections thing he managed to do was just a one time thing. He even told Yao this but the Chinese man refused to believe it so he figured he should just go with it.

"Another time?" Gilbert questioned and Matthew nodded.

"Yeah, another ti—"

Both males stopped walking when they saw Alfred again though this time he wasn't alone. With him was Yong Soo and they were just standing there, in plain view, all but eating each other faces off.

The new couple couldn't help but stare, each of them with a look of disgust on their faces. Matthew, really uncomfortable at seeing his twin brother making out with someone, decided to speak up. "_Alfred!"_

Hearing his name Alfred pulled away from the younger boy and turned to his brother, elegantly wiping the saliva off his face with his forearm. "Hey bro," he greeted, not looking ashamed in the slightest about what he was caught doing in public (at least Yong Soo had the decency to blush). "Hey freak that if he messes with my bro will lose his ability to have kids."

"Just Gil the awesome is good," Gilbert answered smoothly before he was hit with a realization. He looked at Matthew with mild panic. "Matt, what the hell! We're the _classy_ couple!"

Matthew blinked at him. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"_Cause it IS._ Dammit, Matt! We need to show them up!" With that declaration he went for Matthew with his mouth open and his tongue out but the blond pushed him away.

"_No, wait! _I _want_ to be the classy couple!"

"_Bullshit!_ _No one_ wants to be the classy couple!"

"Well _I_ do!"

"Okay, _okay_!" Alfred exclaimed, pulling the red eyed male away from his twin. "That's one chance, bitch!"

Gilbert rose an eyebrow at the American in confusion. "'Chance?' The fuc—"

"What? No, Al, that wasn't a chance we were just playing around!" Matthew defended, knowing that if Gilbert continued to lose his chances this fast he would be finished in a couple of days.

"Not your place to decided that! That was part of the deal!

"We never made a de—"

"Hello!" Yong Soo suddenly interrupted, jumping beside the American and looping his arm around Alfred's. "You're Mattie, Alfred's twin, right? I'm Yong Soo, da~ze!" He introduced, holding out a hand towards the Canadian. "Alfred's boyfriend!"

Alfred made a sound in the back of his throat and looked away with a faint blush on his face but said nothing to deny it. Matthew blinked before he took the offered hand and shook it, a polite smile on his face. "Hello it's, um, nice to properly meet you."

"And I'm the awesome Gilbert!" The albino decided to add, grabbing the Asians hand after Matthew had let go. "And I'm this guys boyfriend. Well, good to see you two are still sucking off each others faces even after that whole cafeteria thing! And here I was thinking it was a stunt."

Matthew blinked before he tilted his head at Gilbert. "Eh? What cafeteria thing?"

"I'm sure your lovely brother will fill you in," Gilbert said with a smirk before he looked at his watch. "Anyways, gonna go, see you later babe." He stole a kiss from the Canadian before he walked away.

"I have to go too. See you later, okay, da~ze?" Yong Soo stated, also kissing his boyfriend before he went away, leaving the two blonds alone together.

Matthew looked to Alfred and rose an eyebrow. "So what was Gil talking about? What happened in the cafeteria?"

Alfred released a nervous laugh before he adjusted his back pack and began to walk towards their home, the Canadian following shortly behind him. "I'll, uh, tell you when we get home."

"You're just going home to change for work before leaving, there won't be time."

"Then I'll tell you after work!"

"_Al_! Just tell me now!"

"Heheheheh...ha..."

* * *

**So I felt like writing fluff, shoot me. (Actually, please don't.)**

**I was originally going to do Romeo and Juliet for the book they were reviewing, but I randomly remember more things about The Great Gatsby, probably cause it was one of my favourite books. You know, right behind Harry Potter and Animal Farm.**

**Bourrée...Pst, I dunno, I was just looking up some random words that started with B and got that. Then I imagined Gilbert doing some kind of burlesque dance (which..I have no idea if it is or not) and it made me lol, so I put it in. **

**I can imagine Feliks being like, the _worst_ person to have as a friends with benefits. Because it's not a 'real' relationship, he probably just do whatever he wanted and demand everything only when it suits him, no matter what is happening to the other person or what time it is...WTF Toris, why?**

**Thank you **Axxi, cutegixie, HerDiary, Goopy Sentimentalist, Silvermoon of Forestclan, Fierce Kitten, XxAlysxX, Apollo Pompano, Randomanime456, stabbythings, Lately, Leite Destiny, fan girl 666, greensoap, luthinuvielle, Black-Dragon1003, MatthewKirklandWilliams, glassof-wine, Happedaez, Sakima Hebi, Riharu, Italiangurlinamessedupworld, Chocola Emo Shizzle, allavengedromance, Naruta13, italiachick13, Luna-Discord **and **Fire Demoness Jaganshi **for the reviews!**

**Thank you guys for reading! ^^**


	39. Scream

**Hey guys, Kitty29 here with a new chapter of Colours! (About frinkin' time)  
Yes I know that I've been gone for a long time but before that I updated pretty much every other day for like two months, that must have counted for something, right? …No? Sorry I asked. **

**Anyways, I could tell you guyz why I went missing for like, five or six months but I really don't think it matters much. All I can do is say sorry and that I love you guuyyyssss! (Don't leave mee…..)  
I can't say I can promise regular updates, but I'll try as hard as I can!**

**RIGHT! SO ONWARDS! A-thank you **Apollo Pompano **for the 900th review! My god the next target is 1000! _What the hell? _I feel like I should do something special but I have no idea what. Ideas?**

**But that's still a ways away in the mean time please enjoy this chapter!  
**

* * *

If Mathew could have restarted the day the first thing he would do was make up some excuse to get out of going to the hospital with Gilbert. It wasn't as if he didn't want to be with his newly acquired boyfriend, oh no. He had just forgotten something very important.

They wouldn't be alone.

He supposed it was his fault for overlooking the fact they were picking up Ludwig from the hospital and that there were many papers that needed to be filled out before the German could leave. By the person taking care of him. Which wasn't Gilbert.

To say the car ride there was awkward would be an understatement.

"He's _glaring_ at me," Matthew observed, looking at the Prussian's grandfather, who had left them in the waiting room as he did paperwork.

"He's not glaring at you," Gilbert looked over as well. "Oh shit, he is glaring. Quickly! Look away before he gets you to do chores!"

Though the reasoning was ridiculous Matthew still followed his advice and Gilbert shifted his body so that he was somewhat blocking his grandfathers view.

"He...He doesn't know about..." The blond paused to gesture between them. "_Us,_ does he?"

"I don't know," Gilbert answered truthfully, glancing back at his relative none too subtlety. "I didn't tell him but he just knows _everything. _Seriously, he's like some kind of fucking wizard or something."

Matthew also looked over at his vice principal and began to twiddle his fingers nervously. "...I don't think he likes me."

"Gramps doesn't like anyone," Gilbert said with a shrug, as if he had long since given up trying to find out why the older man was always so grumpy. "I'd be more freaked if he _liked_ you."

Matthew didn't really look convinced, but he decided not to dwell on it for now. "Your grandfather is really young looking." He was actually surprised when he learned the man was a grandfather. Before he honestly thought he was no older than thirty.

Gilbert smirked proudly, as if the comment towards his relative was somehow directed at him as well. "Well, Beilschmidt genes are the best in the world! Plus it helps that he's only like, fifty or something."

The Canadian's head snapped to the Prussian, his eyes wide. "F-_Fifty_? But that's so _young_!"

Gilbert raised an eyebrow. "You are the first fifteen year old I've heard call fifty young."

"Okay, so it's not really _young,_" Matthew agreed. "But my grandparents are nearly eighty!"

The older teen signed before he answered the unvoiced question. "Yeah, being a man whore runs in my family. Gramps had my dad at sixteen and my awesome presence graced the earth when my dad was eighteen. The girlies just can't handle our awesomeness..."

Matthew blinked at the brief family history before a feeling of dread washed over him as he recalled Gilbert's age. He knew it was stupid even before he asked the question but this was kind of important. "You're not a father are you? Ca-Cause you can tell me if you a—"

He was interrupted when Gilbert released a bark of a laugh. "Even _I'm_ not as much of a slut as my forefathers." He paused before he wiggled his eyebrows at the other. "Unless you want me to."

Matthew blushed before he quickly decided to change the subject. "So, um...Have you seen Liz lately?"

Gilbert gave him a look at the random question. "Liz...? As in Elizabeta, Liz? Head of the warehouse group Liz?"

Matthew nodded. "Yeah, apparently Alfred saw her here a few days ago."

"The hospital, here?" Matthew nodded once more and Gilbert made a face as if thinking. "Yeah I think she did say something like that. Something about... Doing some assignment about suicide or some shit, I wasn't really paying attention." He paused to scratch the back of his neck. "Dunno why the hell she would start _now_. Schools almost frinkin' over."

Matthew was actually a bit taken back by the answer. He didn't really expect it to be so helpful. "Oh, so you and Liz are friends?" If Elizabeta had told Gilbert that then why did Ivan call _him_ asking for information? There had to be some kind of explanation to why Elizabeta didn't want to be spotted and Ivan was looking for her. Maybe they were working on a project together? Wait, that wouldn't make any sense, Elizabeta was in high school while Ivan in university. He knew he shouldn't be dwelling on other people's affairs but Alfred's claim of it bring suspicious did hold some merit. Snapping out of his thoughts he looked to Gilbert and found him actually looking uncomfortable, only adding to his curiosity.

"Well, you know, my awesomeness would just be wasted if I only went to one club. So sometime I go over to the warehouse group and shake things up!" He then unleashed a curt almost hesitant chuckle before he looked elsewhere and fell silent.

Matthew couldn't help but stare at his obvious lie. "Uh, Gil I—"

"Hey! Is that Roderich I see over there?"

Mathew looked to where Gilbert was gesturing to see...oh hey. It really was Roderich.

The Austrian seemed to have spotted them at the same time though immediately looked away. For a moment he considered pretending he didn't see them and continue on with his day. He glanced over and released a small sigh, realizing they spotted him as well. Walking away now would be rude. So he reluctantly made his way over.

"Hello," He greeted, nodding his head towards the both of them in a show of acknowledgement.

"Yo Rodcho," Gilbert greeted back, Roderichs eyebrow twitch only making his grin widen. "You here to visit?"

Roderich released a sigh through his nose before he nodded. "I assume you're here for Ludwig?"

The albino laughed at the others tone. "You make it sound as if you're in charge of keeping track of everyone!" He laughed again before he turned to his boyfriend. "Can you believe this guy's a teen?"

Matthew just shrugged sheepishly, not really wanting to get in between…Whatever was happening. Roderich just gave Gilbert a blank stare before he decided he was done with the greeting. "I need to go. Goodbye." With that Roderich nodded towards the two of them again before he walked off.

Gilbert watched him go with his usual large cocky smile on his face, though it vanished nearly as soon as the dark haired male rounded a corner. "Huh," Gilbert started, still looking towards where the Austrian once was. "That was weird."

Matthew was glad he wasn't the only one that shared that opinion. That interaction was more like a scene out of a comedic play than a shared greeting between two teenagers.

"He's usually more stuck up when I call him Rodcho."

...Mm. And Matthew thought he was the strange one. Then again, ever since they first met he knew that normal and Gilbert were never acquaintances. Then again, no one he really knew were 'normal' but really what was normal anyway? The most 'normal' person he knew was Arthur and he's one of the weirdest people he knew as well. Maybe he should start being more boring...

"Hey," That one word brought Matthew back into reality and he focused on the albino. "Looks like Gramps is gonna be a while. Wanna go bother my brother?"

Matthew gave a brief shrug before he nodded and together the two got up and left the waiting room.

/ / / \ \ \

How they ended up in this situation Feliciano didn't know. All he remembered of the last couple minutes was Ludwig coming into his room and telling him that he was going home today. There had been an awkward silence, that he could remember. But then, out of the blue Ludwig caught him completely off guard with, "Give me your wound."

All the Italian could think of doing was stare at the blond, though the other refused to make eye contact. "Lud…Lud I—"

"Everyone's ability is more than it appears," Ludwig paused, the faint deepening of his brow bring an odd glint of unsure determination to his eye. "If you can inflict wounds onto yourself then…" Another pause, though he still couldn't bring himself to look at the other. "…You can give it back."

Feliciano's eyes widened and a feeling he couldn't quite place rose inside him. He continued to stare at the German, thinking that if he could match his gaze he could identify the emotion. "Lud I…don't…I thought you were going home today."

"I don't want to…" It seemed as if there was something much more to that sentence, though it disappeared into a quiet, awkward cough.

"But Luddy I _need_ you to go!" Feliciano suddenly blurted out, the sudden forming of tears prickling the corner of his eyes. "Th-Then I'll know that you'll be o—"

The word caught in his throat when Ludwig finally matched their gaze and another burst of the strange feeling rose within him. For a moment his blue eyes burned with unnecessary intensity though they softened when it only made Feliciano look more fearful. He went towards the blanket covered man, trying to look sure but failing. When he was close enough he gently placed his hands on the Italians clothed shoulders, ignoring the other physicality flinch.

"Feliciano, I…I don't…want…to leave you."

There was nothing on the German's face that showed that he was lying. That was why Feliciano had to look away, the small movement causing his wound to throb. If Ludwig had said that to him before all this, he would have burst into joyful tears and thrown himself at his feet. Now the tears threatening to fall were ones of frustration.

He tried to blink the liquid away but before he could a hand caught his chin and made him look at him. Either Ludwig forgot that Feliciano's ability worked through touch or he just didn't care.

"You saved my life Feliciano," Ludwig said softly, forcing Feliciano to listen. "You don't have to suffer anymore."

Despite himself, Feliciano's hand ghosted over his wound. Even that small action caused him pain. The tears he was holding back began to fall. "…What do you want me to do?"

/ / / \ \ \

"So you got an appointment with Yao after this?" Gilbert asked as smoothly as he could. He would never actually admit this but after all this picking up of his not-as-awesome brother he kind of wanted him and Matthew to spend some time alone together to do all that cutesy relationship shit that all new couples do. Not that he would ever suggest that because that would be pretty unawesome but if Matthew wanted to do it then it would be unawesome of him not to comply.

"Yeah. Yao really thinks I can do this whole…Connecting thing." Matthew replied, obviously not reading Gilbert's inner thoughts.

"So what? You don't think that you can do it?"

Matthew made a face before he shrugged. "I don't know. The whole idea is a little farfetched."

"Like seeing emotions in colours?"

"Touché."

Gilbert smirked as he turned the corner, the other following closely behind. If he remember correctly his brothers room was just down the hall. "Yeah whatever. Just make sure you don't die on your way back."

Matthew let out a small airy chuckle. "Um, okay? I'll try? Why would you even say something like that?"

Gilbert waved his hand, dismissing the comment. "Pst, don't worry about it. Yao will probably tell you about his conspiracy theories when you get there. Seriously that guy is so frinkin' parano—"

A sudden shirk embodying horror suddenly sliced through the hospital, instantly stopping the thoughts of anyone who heard it. For just a moment the entire would went silent as if in awe of such an emotional yell. In that moment, even the various machines that were constanty working had gone quiet if not for the respect of the call that had caused it.

The moment ended and immediately doctors, nurses and even some curious patients ran towards the sound. Matthew and Gilbert stayed where they were, staring dumbly ahead while all the persons rushed by. Matthew just blinked and watched people go, still not sure what was going on. That scream had shook him so much he would still feel it vibrating inside him.

"…Holy _shit._"

Matthew turned to his boyfriend, glad when he saw Gilbert as wide eyes and slack jawed as he must have been.

"…I think that was Liz."

_…WHAT?_

But before Matthew could voice his thoughts to the other Gilbert was gone, chasing after random doctors in hope that they knew where they were going. Soon after, Matthew found himself running too.

"Gil! _Wait!_" He called to the wind, seeing as the Prussian was too far ahead to hear him. _Dammit!_ Why did everywhere he went had to have so much dra— Was that Ludwig being carried away on a stretcher?

Stopping completely he stepped aside to allow the busy doctors room to pass. As they went by he confirmed his suspensions. There lay Ludwig, his face scrunched up in pain as he tried to stop the blond from flowing out of his re opened wound. Matthew looked back at wherever Gilbert had run off to. _DAMMIT! Why can't he just have _one _emergency at a time? _

"_MATTEO!_"

Matthew barely even had time to turn before the Italian slammed into him, nearly forcing the two to the ground. Feliciano had wasting no time in burying his face into Matthew's shirt, babbling uselessly as he clung to him. "I-I can't believe t-that-that Luddy would be, and I did- but I-I-I didn't mean to…I shouldn't b-but I had to! And-And-And-And—"

Matthew grabbed Feliciano's shoulders and held him at arm's length, feeling very uncomfortable. "Fe-_Feliciano_! Are you okay? What happened?"

Feliciano took a moment to try and compose himself, fruitlessly trying to wipe the tears from his cheeks. "W-Well…L-Luddy came into my room and I…I…" More hot tears streamed down his face before he just blurted it out. "_I gave Luddy his wound back!_"

…_WHAT?_

"_What? _But how, why, I mean…You can do that?"

Feliciano looked at him with his large watery eyes and a sudden strange mix of blue and green snapped into his vision. Feliciano buried himself into Matthew's shirt again, rambling incoherently into the fabric.

Matthews hands lifted awkwardly behind the other male, not really knowing what he should do. Last time he saw the Italian he seemed terrified of touch and now he was clinging onto him for dear life. Should he…try to…comfort him or…?

"Matt!"

Oh thank god a distraction. Matthew turned in time to see Gilbert slow to a stop beside him. "Gil! What happened? Was that Liz?" He quickly questioned before the other had a chance to ask about Feliciano.

Gilbert nodded, panting lightly as he looked around the hallway. "Yeah that was her but Roderichs got it. Have you seen Ludwig?"

At the sound of the German's name Feliciano detached himself from Matthew to turn and apologize profusely at Gilbert. "O-Oh Gil! _I didn't mean to do it!_" Was the only thing that was really coherent before it just became a mess of words and sobs. Gilbert looked to Matthew, the question on his face far louder than his voice would have been. "Matt wh—"

"I'm not sure," Matthew answered, shaking his head. "He said something about giving Ludwig his wound back but—"

"_WHAT?_"

At that the Italians cries got even louder, the depressed colour leaping off of him making Matthew's head hurt. He tried to comfort him. "Fe-Feliciano, it's okay! I'm sure that Ludwig is fi—"

But before he could finish his sentence Gilbert had taken off one of his gloves and placed his hand on Feliciano's face. Almost immediately Feliciano stopped crying and a small gasp escaped him. He then collapsed into a dead faint, Gilbert catching him before he fell onto the ground. Matthew was shocked.

"_The hell are you doing?_" He exclaimed, too relieved that the depressed colour was gone to feel as angry as he should have been. "Are you _trying_ to put him back into a coma?"

"He'll be fine." Was Gilbert's curt reply, only half listening. "Here, take Feli back to his room. I have to make sure Ludwig didn't kill himself." He practically threw Feliciano at Matthew at the way he handed him off and then readied himself as if to run to wherever his younger brother was. Before he did he turned to his boyfriend. "I'll call you." He said before he lingered for just a moment longer to steal a kiss before he was gone.

Matthew stood there and stared after him for a while, not knowing whether he should feel angry at the Prussian for being…him, impressed by his loyalty to his sibling or just plain confused at everything that's happened. Sighing, he adjusted the dead weight comfortably on him before he began the walk to where he thought Feliciano's room was.

He was never going to pursue medicine.

* * *

**Some excitement to come back to, right?  
Matthew was fun to write in this one, writing him being conflicted or flabbergasted is really fun for some reason. (I'm a awesomely horrible person you shush.) **

**I finally wrote the whole outline for this thing so now I actually know what I'm doing (kind of) so now I can actually get to the plot! (What? There's a plot? Why was I not told of this?)**

**Thank you **Moyoki, Grammar Nazi, Leite Destiny, SaxyMisty, stabbythings, SabrinaScissorhands**, **Goopy Sentimentalist, Wy-chan, SchemingAlchemist, Zapheil, Silvermoon of Forestclan, XxAlysxX, Apollo Pompano, Axxi, XxTehSparklepirexX, AmWatchingYou, fan girl 666, Naruta13, HerDiary, Fierce Kitten, cutegixie, Kendall N.S., Randomanime456, Chocola Emo Shizzle, Hungary, Lone Star Girl, Sanity on Strike, yukiko202, .X7, Miss Trim, Me and My Shadow**, **1MsAwesome1, Narwhal-Ninja-Saur, Kzaen, FANGIRL(for all the death threats lol), anonymoosefangirl, Skyeh, Chibi-Foodly-Girl, Mikadocon, sam-makes-pancakes, blurry19, musiclover1933, Worried Reader, ShadowfireNightblade, Yottersmania, bamboozled shuriken, SilversShadow13, AllyCatWithLove, Pop-goes-the-Prussia, Ottilia, -Pon, Don'tMessWithAFangirl, Her-Bloody-Majesty, otaku876 **and **Lalliey **for the reviews!**

**Thank you guyz for reading! ^^**


	40. Story Telling

**1000...1000...1000 mother fucking reviews, guys. It's just...Is just...Whoa. My mind has been fucked in every position and then blown. SO MUCH SEX APPEAL.**

**RIGHT. RIGHT. SO SO. ARRGGH THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH. I WOULD SERIOUSLY HUG EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU IF I HAD THE TIME, RESOURCES AND WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A PEDOPHILE AFTER!**

**AAARRGHH!_THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE FAILS TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE AND EXCITEMENT!_  
mmm, right. okay. Caps off. **

**There two reasons to cerebrate. The first, obviously being the fact that this story has just reached 1000 reviews, which is awesome, _woo__. _Then, there is the fact that this this chapter marks the 40th chapter of this story! Hooray! We're almost middle aged!  
And My god what a dozy of a chapter this is. I have to say that this is the _longest_ chapter I have written for this story yet. I was actually considering making it a two parter with how long it was but I decided it HAD TO BE ONE.**

**Caps locks off once more and back to the 1000 reviews thing, because it's **_**1000**_** reviews I wanted to do something a little special for everyone though I truthfully am still not sure what exactly I should do. I'm kind of making it up as I g****o ****here**** (what's new) however, I decided to do a short story for the person who got my 1000**** review**** who was **FlyingSolo365**! WOO****(even though you CHEATED). The story can be about anything or anyone it really doesn't even had to be Hetalia (one rule: No USUK) so PM me later and tell me what you want!  
To everyone else, I want to do something for ya' too! But I don't know what (fail brai****n). I****f you can think ****of **_**anything**_** just run it by me and it will go **_**down**__**. **_**I was also thinking of bugging someone into drawing a few pages of a random scene from this thing but I dunno. Maybe.**

**God I know this is long already but just ONE more VERY VERY _VERY __VERY_ important thing before the story. I would like to thank the one person who if they weren't around this story probably wouldn't even exist. It is this person who even before I posted the first chapter of this thing I ran the general plot line by her and got the inspiration to see this thing through.**

bombayxprodigy

**God even without this story what would I do without you? I would probably just kill myself for being so unawesome that's what. SO MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH LOVE. NOW MAKE ME A SANDWICH. HA kidding, but seriously, couldn't have done this without you. I would have gotten bored and left pst.**

**Also, thank you** MaryMew** for th****e** **e**dit b**e**caus**e** I fail at **e********v**erything.  


**KAY ENOUGH WITH THAT! ON WITH THE STORY!**

* * *

"Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. _Oh my God!_"

Alfred was confused. For once in his life he actually decided to do the responsible thing and start studying for his exams only to have his twin burst into his room and start freaking out. Guess the gods were telling him his studying was not meant to be.

"Whoa, whoa, jeez bro, calm the F down!" Alfred exclaimed, gladly shutting the textbook he just opened to focus on his frantic brother. Whatever was bugging him must have been big. He didn't even knock on his door before he barged in.

"O-Oh my God, Al. I...I don't think having an ability is a good idea anymore."

Alfred couldn't help but laugh, even with his brothers off state. "What? Mattie, that doesn't even... You know what?" He swept all his school stuff off his bed and patted on the spot next to him. "C'mon, tell me what's up."

Matthew paused, taking a moment to breathe and run a shaky hand through his hair. Something had shaken him quite greatly, that much was certain. He accepted his brother's offer and sat next to him, taking off his glasses and nervously cleaning them on his shirt.

"Jesus, bro. I hadn't seen you this nervous since you were asked to make a speech in front of the whole school in junior high."

"I'm sorry," Matthew apologized needlessly, setting his glasses back on his nose and staring down at the scattered books. It didn't seem as if he heard his brothers comment but he did seem much calmer than a couple minutes ago though there was still a look of mild panic on his features. "It-It's just with Liz and Yao I-I just don't know what I shou—"

"Whoa! Bro. Seriously. You're starting at chapter forty here! Let's rewind. Who's Liz again?"

Matthew glanced over at Alfred, a faint look of confusion on his face. Nevertheless, he answered. "Liz is the leader of the group I go to to see Ivan."

"See! _Now _we're getting somewhere!" Alfred petted his sibling on the back encouragingly. "Okay, so what happened to this Liz person?"

Matthew took a deep breath before he told Alfred of the happenings of the hospital. From Elizabeta's scream to him dragging the unconscious Feliciano back to his room. Surprisingly, Alfred was quiet throughout the whole story but as soon as Matthew had finished he had quite a bit to say.

"_What!_ You mean I missed all _that_?" He exclaimed, standing and walking around to vent his sudden frustration. "Damn, bro! Either you have to start carrying around a camera or I'm following you more!"

"_Alfred!_ What happened wasn't in any way 'cool'!" Matthew argued, angry at his brother's lack of compassion. "It was depressing and stressful! I'm gonna have nightmares about that scream for _weeks!_"

"Okay, okay," Alfred eased, putting his hands up in a surrendering motion. "Yeah, okay, you're right." He took a deep breath as if to calm himself before he sat down next to his brother. "Kay, so. Feli and Ludwig are good, right?"

Matthew paused before he shrugged, the simple action causing a sadness to show on his face.

Apparently for Alfred that was good enough. "That's good! So did you find out why Liz was so upset?"

"Yeah, Gil called me later. Liz's grandfather had a heart attack and died."

The usually loud mouthed American went silent and Matthew could tell he felt guilty for the way he acted. "Oh well…Shit that sucks. Is she okay?"

"I think so. Last I heard Roderich was taking care of her."

Alfred nodded. He didn't know who this Roderich guy was but he guessed he was good enough of a guy to leave a grief-stricken girl to.

…

"Is that why you were flippin' out?"

"No…well…" Matthew paused to think. "…Yeah, a little bit but it was something that Yao told me that was um…interesting,"

"Can I get off now?"

"A few more minutes," Yao responded from further away in the kitchen. Matthew released a disapproving moan that was ignored. After the series of rather strange events that happened at the hospital Matthew went over to Yao's apartment to help him with his research. For some reason that meant that he had to be stuck running on a treadmill. He didn't know why he was running, but he knew he didn't like it. Still he continued, for what Yao referred to as 'the pursuit of the truth.' Augh…

Yao's apartment was strange. He wasn't even sure if it was the older man's permanent place of residence. From what he could see everything about it was just so thrown together and bland. The walls were yellow-white, anything hanging on the walls were notes to himself in Mandarin and if any of the furniture matched it was by accident. Though when Yao walked into another room to get something he saw a flash of bright red. Maybe he was thinking about décor way to hard. He blamed exercise. God he was out of shape.

"That should be enough."

Matthew gladly stepped off the machine, panting heavily as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Yao began towards his balcony, motioning for the blond to follow him. "Notice anything different about people?" Matthew leaned over the railing to better look at the citizens walking on the sidewalks in front of the apartment building.

He took a moment to really look at the passer-by's before he answered. "Everyone's colours are easier to see." It was true. Normally he had to concentrate on a person to see their colours but now a simple glance seemed to do the trick.

Yao nodded, having expected the result. "Exercise does stimulate the mind, aru!" He said as if promoting it on a children's show. "Now try to make a connection with me." Matthew pulled away from the railing and nodded, now nervous for no logical reason. "O-Okay, um...I'm sorry, how do I do that again?"

"Use your ability on me while I use mine and a connection should form."

Matthew nodded and did what was asked, though the result was unfavourable. Matthew deflated. "I'm sorry." He apologized needlessly. Though he had come here expecting that outcome he found himself disappointed. Yao didn't answer immediately, instead opting to focus on a random spot just beside Matthew's head in thought. He then walked back into his home as he spoke, Matthew following closely behind. "It's not your fault, aru. Still things to try. Tea?"

"No thanks but may I have some water if that's okay?"

Yao nodded and entered his kitchen, Matthew hanging awkwardly behind and leaning against the counter. Yao handed him a glass of water and Matthew decided to start a conversation. "So, um...I-I heard that there other people who can also make connections. Have you ever talked to them?"

"I used to talk with them, aru." Came Yao's simple reply.

Silence.

"Um...'Used to'? Did something happen?"

Yao put the filled kettle on top of the stove, not even looking like he heard the blond talk. He turned the stove up to high and made sure everything was fine before he looked to Matthew like he hadn't spoken for hours. "Aiyeh? Ah, yes, I tried to contact all of them but only the kid from Portugal answered. Though he stopped a few years ago."

A few years ago? It really made Matthew wonder just how long Yao has been researching people with abilities. Wasn't he only twenty...? Clearing his mind of that thought he decided to stay on track. "Did he ever share anything about making connections?"

"Not as much as I would have liked, aru." Yao said with a hint of disappointment, as if the boy who lived hundreds of miles away was somehow eavesdropping. "He did say one thing. He said it's easier to create a connection with someone you know over a complete stranger."

"Oh?" Matthew responded, feigning interest. It wasn't the helpful tip that he hoped for, but it was a tip all the same. Yao seemed to have approved of the others reaction, because a small smile tugged on his lips. "That was pretty much it, aru. He talked too much but always stopped when it came to his abilities." Though Yao's expression didn't change in the slightest a sad blue grew over his pale yellow. Matthew wouldn't have noticed it if the exercise hadn't sharpened his mind. He changed the subject.

"This is going to sound strange, but, um... Gilbert said that I should be careful on my way back. Would you know anything about...that...or..." He trailed off when Yao's face took on a sudden turn for the serious, his colours matching his new persona.

"Sorry Matthew, I didn't want to talk about this today but you deserve to know." Matthew didn't know why but he straightened up as if to look more presentable to whatever the elder was about to say. Yao looked to Matthew's large anticipating eyes and sighed. "Some think that because they have an ability they are better than everyone else. That they are gods or a part of some ancient prophecy. Abilities make us special, aru, but they aren't something to be worshiped. I can't break the law just because I can paint."

He paused to allow Matthew to absorb what he said, Yao's face making the words seem deeper than they were. Matthew definitely had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Um...What are you talking about?"

"I think someone is using their abilities to kill."

The kettle whistled.

"Wait! Wait. Wait. Wait..._What?_" Alfred interrupted, unable to contain himself. "Did you just say _murder?_" His eyes were wide with some kind of emotion but Matthew couldn't tell if it was with horror or excitement. Honestly, he didn't really care. For some reason, Matthew suddenly felt tired. Nevertheless, he continued. "Yes. Murder but that's not it." He continued the story, his brother listening quite intently.

Yao turned his attention to the kettle and Matthew was grateful for the distraction. He was...surprised for a lack of a better word. He probably should have felt something much more right after hearing that someone he possibly knew may be a murderer but he didn't. Though somewhere in the back of his mind he knew this wasn't true, he thought the Chinese man was joking.

"It's just a theory though, aru. Don't worry about it too much."

_What the_— How can he _not _worry about a possible _murderer_ running around? The fact that Yao even told him not to worry just made him even _more_ anxious. _Why was he so bad at this? _

"—hew? Matthew?" Realizing the Chinese man was calling him Matthew snapped out of his thoughts. "O-Oh, sorry I, um...How can you be sure that it's someone with abilities that's doing the kil...the kil...the crime?"

"Experience." Yao breathed, looking at a memory he didn't wish to retell. "There have been people whose supposed suicides just seem...abnormal..." He trailed off, the memory slowly engulfing him, dragging him into past and present fears. Deeper and deeper into places he'd thought he's long since conquered.

He snapped out of it and looked at Matthew as if nothing had happened. "Though none of the victims had abilities so you should be safe, aru." Well, that was a bit of a relief though it certainly didn't stop Matthew from worrying. Jeez...How could anyone talk about murder so casually?

Yao picked up his now prepared tea and smiled at him but it was a strange smile. It was sunny and almost goofy looking, seeming so out of place on his usually uninterested expression. It actually made Matthew smile as well, despite his less than happy thoughts. "There will be a meeting next week to discuss it. Are you ready for more experiments, aru?" Matthew nodded, quickly finishing off whatever was left in his glass before he followed Yao out of the kitchen.

"...Okay..." Alfred said slowly after Matthew was done. "Was there something I was missing there that was supposed to shock me more than, I don't know, _murder?_"

"I'm not done," Matthew stated, eager to get this whole retelling process out of the way. "Gilbert called me after I was done helping Yao and he told me what happened with Liz."

Gilbert was almost ashamed to see Elizabeta in the shape she was in right now. Roderich was there, holding up her broken form as she wailed and screamed into his body. He knew that if the Austrian wasn't there to comfort her she would have injured a doctor or two. "_Liz!_ Rod what the _fuck?_ What happened?"

"Her grandfather just passed away," Roderich stated surprisingly calmly.

"...Oh." The surprised sadness on the teen's face showed that he understood. He knew Elizabeta and her grandfather were close. Very close.

"_He didn't deserve it!_" Elizabeta suddenly cried out, looking up at the Austrian with complete desperation in her eyes, like if she stared hard enough he would some how bring her grandfather back to life.

"It was bound to happen Elizabeta!" He exclaimed, his face sympathetic but his tone stern. "The man already tried to kill himself! It was his time!"

She tried to push herself away from the teen but Roderich held her strongl—

"Wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. _Wait_." Alfred interrupted once more, his brow deep as he thought. "Liz's grandfather tried to commit _suicide?_ But, but wasn't there...Something else...Something else you said about suicide..." He paused to think and Matthew allowed him to do so. It took a while of the cogs in his head to slowly turn but once he was able to string it all together his eyes widened with realization and his body went erect. "_Oh!_ No, wait, what? Seriously? You really think that?"

"It makes _sense_ doesn't it?" Matthew reasoned, glad that he and Alfred were now on the same page. Alfred paused, his brow kitted in thought once more. "So...You seriously think that the so called killer that Yao was talking about...tried to kill Liz's _grandfather?_"

Matthew slowly nodded, suddenly unsure. This was strange. For having pieced together a possible murder Alfred was relatively calm. It even rubbed off on the Canadian. Though he still felt the nerves in the pit of his stomach, he no longer had any desire to act on it.

Finally, Alfred said, "Bro, you are being _really_ paranoid."

...

What.

If there was _one_ person Matthew thought would share his theory it was Alfred. This was the same guy who thought Ivan wanting to know where Elizabeta was was suspicious!

Alfred, interpreting Matthew's stunned silence as an admission that he was right, laughed and smacked his younger twin on the back. "Don't worry about it! Just 'cause you have an ability doesn't mean some organization is going to try and capture you or something!"

"Alfred this is _serious!_" Matthew exclaimed, rounding on his brother. "We're talking about a _murderer_ here! Doesn't that make you even a little nervous?"

"Aren't you the one who told me to stop referring everything that happens to Heroes?" Alfred asked, trying to sound soothing while still having that almost victorious look on his face. "Now you're saying that there's some kind of Sylar running around? I think I get a freebie after that!"

Matthew just stared. He was in such a state of disbelief that he half expected Alfred to say he was joking and then turn serious. Of course this didn't happen.

"What is_ wrong_ with you?" Matthew stood and glared at the other, the tired he felt before turning into anger. "I show concern for our_ lives_ and you compare it to a _TV show!_"

Alfred shot him his own disbelieving look before he also stood. "You've _got_ to be kidding! Just how many times have you knocked down one or, fuck it, all of my theories?"

"Most of your theories don't make_ sense!_"

"Oh, and _yours_ do?"

"You_ just_ admitted it did!"

"Heh! Do you know how many paedophiles there are in our neighbourhood?"

The question was so random that it caught Matthew completely off guard. "I…How many what now?"

"Paedophiles. Guess how many registered paedophiles there are in our neighbourhood."

Paedophiles? In their neighbourhood? Matthew _highly_ doubted there were any! … right? Still he decided to humour Alfred, now actually wanting to know the answer. "I don't know! Two?"

"Try fourteen. Ms. Robinson moved."

"Really? Oh that's too bad. She made really good cookies." Matthew shook his head, reminding himself that he was in the middle of something. "F-Fine! What does that have to do with anything?"

"It means that you are unnecessarily paranoid!" A small smirk appeared on the American's face for a moment but he quickly wiped it off. It was too early for victory. "Admit it! You got scared when I told you about the paedophiles didn't you?"

Truthfully, yes. He was scared. If he wasn't in the middle of an argument he would have asked who they were so that he could avoid them. "S-So what if I am! It doesn't mean you have to be such a _jerk!_" At this point Matthew took an aggressive step forward and none too gently shoved Alfred's chest, sending him back a step.

There was a pregnant pause.

Alfred put a hand to his chest before he glared back at Matthew, a very annoyed look on his face. "You really want to start something? _Bro_." He spat out the last word no longer using it as a term of endearment.

Malicious thoughts of bringing harm to his twin brought a sparkle to Matthew's eyes. "Bring it."

"Consider it _brung!_"

"It's brought, _dumbass!_"

"OI!" A loud banging on the door caused the two to stop completely. "STOP FIGHTING OR I'LL RIP YOUR BLEEDING FACES OFF!"

…_Whoa_.

"Sorry Dad…"

"We'll be quiet…"

Arthur made sure that he heard the two mumble apologizes before he went back downstairs. He was angry again. Realizing that simple fact only served in making him angrier. He tried to calm himself but everything just seemed to tick him off lately. He knew the reason but the only way he would admit aloud was if he was viciously tortured. The only thing he would say was that he was frustrated.

He moved into the kitchen, making a beeline for the fridge. There he grabbed one of Francis' water bottles and knocked it back, trying to drown his madness. Normally he went straight for the alcohol but for once he wanted his mind clear. Something about the meeting he had with the family psychologist just hours ago had him on edge. He was still trying to decide if he should take her seriously or call a loony bin. It certainly didn't help that the first thing she said was:

"Your family's in danger, Arthur."

It wasn't what Arthur expected when Dr. John had called him into her office but certainly caught his attention. "What are you talking about? My family is fine."

The doctor was acting rather peculiar. Usually she seemed so collected, sitting calmly in her fancy chair with a welcoming smile on her face. Now she wasn't even sitting, instead opting to stand near one of her small windows, her hands on her elbows. For some reason she had decided to close all the blinds in her office, leaving the usually warm place ominous.

"Not now. Now everyone is safe." She stopped to bring up two fingers to her lips and stare out the unopened window. She seemed to be in some kind of ethical conundrum.

Arthur looked at her strangely, sitting rigid at the edge of the client couch. "Please don't tell me my own therapist has gone raving."

She laughed a humourless laugh. "I'm afraid I wouldn't be a good psychologist if I wasn't mad. But this isn't about me. This is about your family."

This couldn't be about what was happening between him and Francis...Could it? Well, she was being rather melodramatic about it. "What's happening with Francis and I isn't...ideal but—"

"That's not what this is about," The doctor interrupted. "However, the fact that you kept such a secret from the one you truly love probably comes from trying to trust people who were close to you in your childhood only to be greatly disappointed more than once. Though that's another session." If this were another day Arthur would have argued with that fact but something about the doctor's expression demanded he listen.

"I'm not saying this to brag but my ability is stronger than most. I can do things that only a few with our ability can do. One of those things, Arthur, is knowing that your family will soon be facing hardships that aren't deserved." Dr. John still chose to look at the unopened window than at him but even in the darkened office Arthur could see her sadly serious expression. This really wasn't a joke.

"You know what's going to happen, don't you?"

There was only a moment's hesitation before she nodded. She fully turned to look at the Englishman, chewing on her bottom lip as if in possession of a juicy bit of gossip she just couldn't tell. Her eyes asked for forgiveness. "I'm sorry Arthur. Just by saying anything I've probably made more than a few mythical creatures mad at me."

Arthur, suddenly feeling anxious seated decided to stand and be on the same level as the doctor. "Why?" He questioned. "Not that I'm not grateful but why would you tell me?"

"Over the years I've grown to like you and your family, I'm almost ashamed to say." She smiled and if not for the ominous atmosphere of the office she would have looked normal. "Your family really has been through a lot, Arthur. More than you and I can imagine. I really don't want you to go through any more than necessary."

"Necessary for what?"

Again she bit onto her bottom lip and Arthur knew that was all the information he was getting out of her. He trusted her but he couldn't help the voice in his head that screamed _rubbish_. If he still didn't believe that abilities existed it really would be complete rubbish. Still though, didn't they have the same ability? "Eliza, what exactly is it you can do that I can't?"

Again she bit her lip but this time she had something to say. "Let's say...I can see possibilities."

If anything that weakened his belief.

He sighed through his nose before he turned his back to her to think, not wanting her expression to sway his thoughts. He really did trust her but she was going on like she could see the future or something and he knew she wasn't registered as an oracle on Tony's forum.

"C'mon Arthur," she urged, the faintest of pleading in her voice. "You really don't think I'm the type of person who would joke about the safety of your children, do you?"

Children? Before she had said family. Were Alfred and Matthew going to get the blunt of whatever was to come? Oh Jesus Christ. He turned back to the doctor. "...What do you advise?"

"Make up with Francis, Arthur. Neither of you can make it through this alone."

A part of him had expected that and yet there was that faint knot of dread and nerves in his stomach. He slowly nodded, unable to look at the others face. "Is that all?"

"That's all I can tell you."

Arthur nodded dumbly, the information still buzzing in his head. "Thank you Eliza." Though he wasn't exactly sure what he was thanking her for. Either way she smiled, though it seemed tired. "You're welcome. Now get out of here, I have to go visit my mother for a few days and if I'm late I'll never hear the end of it."

That earned a small chuckle before he left the darkened office.

"Good luck." She had said, as if the price of failure was losing his spouse forever. Argh…Just the thought of that made Arthur want to grab the nearest bottle of liquor and down half of it in one swing but he didn't. He resisted, instead taking another drink of water before he made his way out of the kitchen.

'Get back together with Francis' she had said but he really didn't want to make up with him. He wanted to be_ with_ him but he didn't want to go and do the incredibly embarrassing apology he knew needed to be done. Perhaps he was being selfish. He needed to do what he needed to do but where would he even start? He didn't even know where he was!

Though today it would seem fate was smiling down on the Englishman.

Just as he was making a mental list of the places his husband could be the front door cracked open. Arthur stopped dead and stared at the door intently. It didn't move. From his position he couldn't see through the slightly opened door but he knew someone was there. He could see their blurred shape through the stained glass window, moving about nervously. Finally, the door opened and in stepped Francis.

He looked as if he had carefully put himself together for this occasion. His attire was nice but casual, his hair was styled and….were those dress shoes on his feet? The Frenchman walked into the house and closed the door behind him, not noticing the sandy haired male watching him. It was then that the object in the blond's hand became visible. Flowers. He had brought flowers. Like_ he_ was the one who needed to apologize. Hm…Maybe Arthur should have expected this. He knew Francis couldn't live without him for long.

He cleared his throat to announce his presence and Francis turned to look at him. For just a beat he remained still, staring at the Brit as if he didn't expect to actually find him in his own house. Then he straightened up and ran a hand through his blond locks, offering a small smile. "Ah…Bonjour, Arthur."

Arthur glanced down to the flowers before he looked back up at Francis with a raised eyebrow. True, he was about to go and look for him so that he could apologize. True, a large part of his mind was screaming, 'he brought flowers! Jump him! Jump him!' Though from the way Francis was acting it really seemed like he had the upper hand. For this reason he didn't say a greeting back.

Francis' smile slowly faded and he looked down at the flowers he had. They were nothing fancy, in fact, if it wasn't for the street vender that pushed it on him he never would have bought them. He hoisted the bouquet into both hands to display them. "I have some flowers for you."

"Why?" Arthur asked, suspicious. "Why would _you_ bring _me_ flowers? Am I not the one who wronged you?"

Francis sighed lightly, allowing his shoulders to sag as he breathed out. "This isn't about who wronged who anymore." Letting the bouquet drop back to one hand he took a deep breath. "I…I married you because I love every part that makes you…you. This is why I was so upset when you didn't tell me about your, um…creatures. Truthfully, mon cher, I still don't think you realize just how much you hurt me." It was here he paused, mentally preparing himself for Arthur's angry retort. Only it never came.

Arthur actually looked…guilty. It seemed as if he didn't find Francis' theory _completely_ incorrect. "I don't think I ever will." He admitted.

Francis just shrugged, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. "I don't care." Those three simple words that were usually the start of countless arguments lifted a weight off Arthur he didn't even realize he was lugging around since this whole stupid thing had started. He found himself laughing, though wasn't sure if it was one of relief or simply amused by how easily it was over. "You don't think I'm raving?"

"Amor, I _always_ think you're raving." Francis answered in full honesty. "This ability of yours just makes it a little more sensible."

That earned a small laugh, and if not for the situation, Francis would have been surprised at what the Englishman did next. He walked up to Francis and wrapped his arms around his torso, laying his head on the other's chest. The only thing that reminded Francis that this was his emotionally stunned husband was the fact that he avoided eye contact the entire time.

Usually, he would have eagerly accepted the rare invitation and promptly hug him back but he did nothing; leaving Arthur feeling like he was hugging a statue rather than a person. Breaking the embrace he tried to make eye contact with Francis but the other wasn't allowing him to do so.

In that moment the atmosphere changed. Francis would_ never_ ignore a display of affection from him. He shouldn't have thought that it would be so easy. "…Francis?"

He knew Francis was emotional but he was still perplexed by how drastically his expression could change. In place of his smiling face was an almost sombre expression

"Arthur. We can get through anything, right?"

"I...Yes of course." The sandy haired man answered unsure, the blissful high of forgiveness diminishing before he could really bask in it. Something in the back of his mind told him he wouldn't be feeling that again soon.

"Then there is something I must tell you."

He _really_ shouldn't have thought it would be that easy.

/ / / \ \ \

If there was one word that would describe the situation inside Alfred's room it would be awkward. After Arthur's, er, _warning_ the two wouldn't dare start fighting and although Matthew's room was only across the hall he was honestly scared to leave. So they stayed that way, Matthew seated on his brother's bed while Alfred flopped down in a beanie chair across the room. Each of them had their bodies facing each other but their heads were turned to pointingly ignore the other. Not that either of them noticed as they were turned away from each other but it made them feel a little more superior. It was Alfred who broke the silence. Of course it was Alfred. He was never good in awkward situations.

"How about everyday after school we walk home together?"

"We do that anyway." Matthew deadpanned, not even turning his head in his brother's direction.

Alfred looked as if he carefully considered this fact. "We'll…do it…carefully?"

"_Alfred_!" Matthew called through clutched teeth the anger he had managed to suppress coming back up. Why did everything he said have to be done so _mockingly_? See if he ever showed concern for his well being again!

A polite knock caused the two to fall silent and look at the door. "Alfred? Matthew?" Came Arthur's voice. Without waiting for an answer he opened the door and went inside. Walking up to Alfred he placed a hand on his shoulder before he looked between the two. "I just came to apologize for yelling at you two before. I wasn't angry at either of you and you didn't deserve it." He then smiled and Matthew felt something off about the man.

This whole exchange was just too…Normal. Arthur wasn't like that. Usually he was awkward or embarrassed when it came to apologizing; everything he did feeling as if someone else had forced him to do so. Matthew glanced at Alfred who was staring at Arthur like he shared his thoughts.

"Um…Dad?" Alfred started slowing, gaining the Englishman's attention. "Did…Did something happen?"

Arthur smiled, though the warmness of it was almost overly fake. "No, lad. Nothing happened. Everything is fine."

Alfred just stared back at his step-father, for once not knowing what to say but clearly not believing what he was told. The silence that followed was tense but Arthur didn't even look like he noticed. Finally, he patted the blond's shoulder once more before he let his hand return to his side. "Alright then, glad to see you both okay." Then, the worst possible thing that could have happened at that time happened.

Arthur looked right into Matthew's eyes.

The black leapt out at him like a wolf on a sheep though instead of hitting him directly it curled around his body, eliminating any colour that crossed it. Matthew tried to call for help but the colour shot into his mouth before he could, moving down his throat and squeezing the air out of his lungs. Choking, he reached up to claw at his throat but just like that, it was gone.

He inhaled sharply, the exhale blocked by the ghost of whatever was there. His hand came to his neck, continuing to choke on nothing as he desperately tried to bring air back into his lungs.

"M-Matt? _Mattie!_" Alfred jumped out of his chair and raced to his brother, placing a hand on his shaking back. "_Shit!_ Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Matthew could barely even hear him over his wheezing, the choking making him feel sick. "Mattie! Jesus Christ, _calm down!_ It's okay! I'm right here." He began to rub soothing circles in his back though even with the extra comfort it took a while before Matthew had calmed down enough to speak.

"_D-Did you see that?_" Matthew asked, already knowing the answer. "I-I-I-I I don't think that I…I…I've never seen anything like t—"

"Seriously, bro! _Shush!_" Alfred keeled in front of him and forced his twin's hands from his neck. He was trying to keep the curiosity out of his tone but he was failing. "Mattie, does this have something to do with your ability?"

Matthew paused, turning his head away to cough, his airway now free. Was that his ability? He had never seen a black among people's colours before. Nor had a colour ever tried to, well…_harm_ him but it had to be his ability, right? Alfred didn't even_ feel_ it! Though…If it was his ability that would mean it came from…

He looked up at the door and physically recoiled, the noise of surprise dying on his tongue. Arthur was gone but not the black. It hung, suspended in the air, its slight transparency making it seem the darkest of blues rather then the solid black he thought it to be. It looked like it extended beyond the door, almost like it was leading him somewhere.

Alfred glanced over his shoulder at where Matthew was staring. "Uh, Mattie? What are you looking at?"

Matthew looked at him, honestly confused. "You don't see…" He trailed off, realizing the obvious answer. He grabbed onto his twin's hand and stood, his heart rate increasing as he decided to follow it. Opening the door he poked his head outside, eyeing the trail of black as it drifted down the hallway and through another room, his parent's room. Tugging a confused Alfred along with him he slowly made his way over, the heartbeat in his ears throwing off how loud he really was. Alfred whispered, "Mattie. What are we do—" but a simple finger to the lips made him quiet once more.

The door to the room was slightly ajar but Matthew didn't look inside just yet. He looked up at the black that hung above him. This wasn't anyone's colour. Colours don't linger. Then why couldn't Alfred see it? Or rather, why could he?

He slowly reached towards the door, a light sweat breaking out on his brow. He wasn't thinking this through but he needed to know. The black only he could see was leading him somewhere and he had to know what. He tried swallowing back his nerves but it only succeeded in making his mouth dry. His fingers brushed against the wood, applying just enough force for one eye to peek through. He glanced back at Alfred for a reason but only found his confused face. Right, of course he would have no idea what was happening. Focusing back on the door he released a shaky breath before he peered through the door.

Not a minute passed before Matthew slapped a hand over his mouth and quickly stumbled backwards, his eyes so wide they could have popped out of his head.

"_Mattie!_" Alfred didn't need an ability to see the absolute horror all over Matthew's face. Still hand in hand, he pulled Matthew closer to him and grabbed onto his forearm, forcing his twin to look at him. "_Mattie_. What did you see? Is something wrong with dad?"

Matthew just stared. His body was so rigid that Alfred was afraid he would snap in half. Then, quite suddenly, he shook his head, his hands slipping off his face so that he could quietly say, "N-No. It-It was nothing."

They both knew it was a lie before the sentence was even finished. Matthew didn't care. Even if he told the truth he knew Alfred wouldn't believe him.

Creatures…He had seen…Horrible magical creatures.

They weren't doing anything, just sitting around a hunched figure that he assumed was Arthur, where the black was coming from. Yes…It looked like Arthur was the cause of the black, the monsters probably attracted by it. Though even after seeing this, it still didn't explain what it was. Being around it made him weak. Very weak. He needed to leave.

"We…We should go." Matthew turned and began towards his bedroom, slipping out of brother's hand.

"Go? Go where?" Alfred called but he was ignored. He groaned, so confused of what was going on that he was actually getting a bit of a headache. His sibling's behaviour worried him greatly. He knew that Matthew had been through a lot but…God he hoped he wasn't going crazy.

Glancing over at Arthur's room he wondered why the other man didn't come out and comment about the noise. Curiosity taking a hold of him as well, he looked inside the room.

The sunlight that usually entered the room so easily was now shut out with a heavy curtain, casting the room into an unwelcoming darkness. He heard Arthur before he saw him. His back was towards the door but even so he could see the jerking of his shoulders that matched with the faint sobs that reached his ears. Alfred sucked in his breath, his mind wanting to leave but his body not obeying. He had never,_ ever_ seen the Brit cry. He honestly didn't even think he was capable of doing so. The strangest mix of awkward pity rose within him as he watched the man. He didn't know what it was, but there was something about seeing him in this venerable state that made him seem so…so…small.

Prying himself away, he reached for the handle and gently shut the sight away.

Perhaps he and Matthew should leave.

* * *

**This chapter is important (the author tells herself).**

**Right, to anyone who reads these things I have a bit of a secret to tell. It not really much of a secret but after 1000 reviews I though I should say _something. _**

**When I started this story, I honestly had no idea what I'm doing. I still don't. I make up most of the next chapter as I write the current one. Also, must of the major plot points were very spur of the moment. One of those is in this very chapter! So for all of you that said that at parts it seems like I have no idea what I doing. IT'S TRUE! _AHAHAHA!_**

**Ha...I'm a horrible story teller.**

**Thank you **Mix Matcher, Chromatic Simplicity, Lawliette93, allavengedromance, SabrinaScissorhands, Her-Bloody-Majesty, Puffin Person, Glimmyfrost7, Berry Doyle, MatthewKirklandWilliams, 4erloveyou, sam-makes-pancakes, fan girl 666, Axxi, The Color Clear, Maki-sama, XxAlysxX, It's A Bonsai Tree, cutegixie, Ottilia, Miss Trim, The Awesome Sugar Sparkles, Lalliey, Anji-Chan666, Leite Destiny, Dreamaker401, Mei-sama, Chatlantic, SoulBreak, SupaCrazee, xIkuna, Silvermoon of Forestclan, Mikadocon, randompersonwithnoname, cryingcarebear, NexaKudo, Washy-woman, RedmapleLeafinFall, FlyingSolo365, TheAwesomeMeThatIsPrussia, Kuraitsuki Tukiko **and **ChibiKillerPanda **for the reviews!**

_**THANK YOU ALL GUYZ! I MAY NO REPLY TO ALOT OF THE REVIEWS BUT I REALLY DO READ AND LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM! MAY YOU BE WELL TIL NEXT TIME!**_


	41. Down

**Hello everyone! Kitty29 here with a new chapter of Colours!(Ah, I forgot to do that in the last chappie...oh well)  
**

**What th- How is this chapter longer than my last one? But I swear that last chapter caused me three times the amount of grief as this one! How does that- I don't even... ARGH! Whatever!**

**Ah! Forgot to pimp out my other story! For those who don't know, I have another story that compliments this one called **Hues and Shades**. It's pretty much a place where I dump all of **Colours** deleted scenes, what ifs, and out takes as well as the story of Francis and Arthur and the events leading up to their marriage. Anyways, since the last time I talked about it I've uploaded a few chapters, so if you haven't read it that's there as well! ^^  
But enough about that...**

**Oh! One more thing I forgot to do. Since I reached the awesome goal of 1000 reviews (WHOOP) my next goal is 1200! Cause my drill will be the drill that will pierce the heavens!  
...I mean what.  
**

**Special thanks to **bombayxprodigy** for doing a general read through of the first 2/3s of this story and making some awesome suggestions for it as well as putting up with my completely random writer's angst. Srly, I don't know how you put up with me. I was about ready to punch myself in the face. **

**Another special thanks to **MaryMew** for taking out all my fails. She's my beta everyone! I'm excited, I have a _beta _again! (...Wow I need a lot of help don't I?)  
**

**Kay I'm done now. Please read and enjoy! ^^**

* * *

It was always nice to have a plan. Especially when that plan included mellowing out a completely freaked brother who looked like he had just seen his first zombie. It was now that Alfred cursed not being more like the nerds he and his buddies constantly made fun of. They always seemed to know what to do in any situation. His most pressing concern was getting Matthew to a calm atmosphere, not that he knew of many.

"So that's why I brought him here," Alfred said with a sheepish shrug, finishing his explanation quite lamely.

Tino blinked at his employee before he looked over at the other's twin, pity raising inside him. His friends had warned him of this. They said that if he continued to treat his employees so nicely they would start asking him for favours. Though honestly, even though he was just about to close up shop and go home, he was kind of glad that Alfred had come here. His brother was quite shaken, even though he sat on the other side of the shop he could see him physically shaking. He wished he knew what had happened to have reduced the teenager into such a state. He attempted to get an explanation out of Alfred but his retelling of the events did nothing to shed light on the situation. Oh dear...The only other person he had seen paler was the albino that often frequented the shop. It really did look like he had just seen a ghost.

"Hey, boss. Is it okay if I can make Mattie some tea?"

Tino nodded and the blond went behind the counter to prepare the hot beverage. There was a brief hesitation before Tino made his way towards the shaken teen. He didn't really know what to do or say but people had told him they usually left feeling better after they had spoken with him. Then again, it was usually them who came to him and starting bawling on his shoulder. Still, he couldn't just stand here and do nothing. Sometimes, even in the darkest of situations, a kind word from a stranger was all it took.

Stopping just in front of the table the frightened teen was at he took a moment to absorb his form. He was seated far back on the chair, leaving enough space to prop his feet on and squeeze his knees to his chest. His face was buried as deep into his knees as he could without hurting himself, his hands gripping onto his blond hair as he muttered what sounded like rapid French under his breath. His glasses lay neatly on top of the table, the frames only getting in the way of his awkward upright fetal position. He continued to shake violently.

More pity rose within Tino and he decided to speak. "Matthew, was it?"

Matthew's head shot up making Tino jump from the suddenness of it. Surprisingly, Matthew's eyes were not red or puffy at all, the older man had honestly thought that the other was crying. Well, that was a good thing right? Even if they were a little too wide... It took a while for Matthew eyes to focus on Tino, an obvious sign that he wasn't used to being without his glasses. Tino spoke again, "Do you mind if I sit with you?"

Matthew continued to stare, his unwavering gaze unnerving the Fin. It seemed as if something had caught his attention and his eyes flickered to somewhere right beside his head. Curious, Tino turned to see just what he was looking at so intently. There was nothing there.

"Y-you can sit if you want!" Matthew proclaimed a little more nervously than he intended to, gathering the man's attention back on himself. Their gazes met for the briefest of seconds before Matthew looked away, his hands now grasping and relaxing on his knees. At least he wasn't shaking as violently anymore.

Tino slipped into the chair opposite of the small table. Several long moments of nothing passed, either knowing what words to exchange. Tino soon found himself transfixed with Matthew's hands. Grasp, relax, grasp, relax, gra—

"I-I hope Alfred and I aren't in...interrupting anything, Mr...um..." It was said so softly that if the cafe wasn't dead quiet Tino would have misheard it. He offered him a small, and what he hoped to be, comforting smile. "Please, call me Tino." He replied, not wanting to bother the other with his foreign last name. Matthew jerked his head in a nod, his eyes flickering to a couple random spots before he raised his hands and dug his eyes into his palms. "Alfred...Alfred talks about you Mr. Tino." It was said more as a fact than a form of flattery. An attempt to keep the conversation as normal as possible. His palms didn't leave his eyes.

Tino decided to keep it going, not really sure what else could be done. "Alfred talks about you too. I sometimes have to stop him so he can work." He offered a small laugh and was pleased when that earned him the tiniest of chuckles. They lapsed into silence once more. If not for Matthew's state it would have been comfortable. "Matthew, can I ask you a more personal question?"

Matthew looked to him at that, his hands returning to his raised knees. He blinked his eyes several times before he squatted them for a moment to straighten his focus. Even when he was looking right at the Fin he seemed unsure with himself, not sure if the blurs were trustworthy. Without his glasses the idea wasn't that far fetched. Seeing he had the others attention, Tino continued, "Is there something wrong with your eyes?"

Matthew sharply turned away to stare at the floor and for a moment Tino dreaded that he had only made the boy's situation worse. Though Matthew looked up again, his eyes now filled with a helplessness and fear that was barely contained behind violet orbs. He answered in all honestly, "I...I don't know."

Tino nearly jumped when the mug was placed down in front of him. Looking up he saw Alfred place an identical mug in front of his twin. He pulled a chair beside Matthew and sat down, his expression unnaturally chipper as if to spite everything. He slapped a hand on Matthew's shoulder and rubbed it, smiling at him. "Mattie, it's okay." He took the glasses on the table and slipped them back on Matthew's nose. "You can relax here."

Matthew took a moment to take a quick look around the cafe, the troubled look on his face showing he did not share his brothers thoughts. Nevertheless, he shifted and planted his feet on the ground, enclosing the warm mug between his hands. Though his position was more natural it only served to make him seem more rigid.

Suddenly the sound of Miley Cyrus filled the air. Though Alfred pulled his phone out as fast as any teenager would he hesitated before he answered, his cheeriness overdone. "Hey, Iggy! S'up?"

The static, incoherent sounds of 'Iggy' replaced Alfred's voice as the only sound in building. As the voice continued Matthew's brow ceased, confused thought behind his glasses.

"We stepped out we're—...I'm telling you now!..."

Though Alfred was making more noise, Tino was drawn to Matthew. As the faintest sound of a British accent continued to cut through complete silence the younger twin's face had started a painfully slow transformation into realization. Tino suddenly felt like an intruder. As if he was alone watching a play written for another. The feeling only intensified when Matthew grabbed the phone out of Alfred's hand and asked the strangest question Tino has ever heard seriously asked to another.

"You can see monsters, can't you Arthur?"

As if this had been rehearsed, Alfred practically leaped out of his seat and began to lightly tug on Tino's arm. "Hey boss! I just remembered I, um, have something outside to show you!"

He was so hasty to get Tino out of earshot he couldn't even think of a good lie fast enough. Tino knew this yet he briskly followed Alfred, looking over his shoulder at Matthew once more before he was pulled out the door.

Matthew didn't care. He didn't even notice.

Neither did Arthur.

"..._Matthew is that you_?"

"Please answer the question."

The silence lasted approximately ten seconds but it might as well have lasted decades. Finally, one symbol slipped into Matthew's ear.

"_Yes_."

Matthew had expected this. Hell, he thought he had prepared himself for it. Though when his brain had registered that one little insufficient word, his body went numb. If he were standing, he would have collapsed. He tried to speak, but his mouth suddenly felt so dry. It was the most intense feeling of betrayal he had ever felt and he cussed himself for feeling it. Just when he had started calling him dad again.

"..._Matthew_?"

"Why did you...You could have helped me."

The line was said so coldly that it caused Arthur to psychically flinch. He had never heard the Canadian speak like that.

"_Matth_—"

"Did you know how it feels to think you're alone in the world?"

There was a chocked noise on the other end as the explanation died in Arthur's throat before it was even given a chance. Matthew had yet to finish.

"I told you about my ability three years ago. You thought I was crazy. It had taken an entire year before that to work up the courage to tell you. Did you and Papa get a good laugh out of it? Did you find it fun to gawk at the moron?"

"_Please, Matthew, if you would just give me another chan_—"

"You had _five years_! _Every day_ was another chance!" It was the first time since the conversation started that Matthew actually sounded angry. "Even just _knowing_ that there was someone close to me who also had an ability it would have been so much easier than thinking I was hated by people I didn't even know! I never made friends! I never did anything! I never _lived_ but _you could have HELPED ME_!"

_Dial tone_.

The phone had barely slipped from Arthur's fingers before he launched into another bout of self loathing sobs. This really was all his fault. He was a coward, even a fifteen year old had seen through his poor persona. He was a fool, he knew that all too well. Everything that he did with this family only seemed to blow up in all of their faces. Did he even belong here? He had no real relation to any of them other than his marriage and he honestly had no idea if even that was going to last.

He would be lying if he said he hadn't expected this. He wasn't handsome or passionate. He was useless when it came to expressing his feelings and he knew he lost his temper on the stupidest of topics. It was these thoughts that made him wonder why Francis, the most perfect structure of a man if there ever was one, hadn't cheated on him sooner.

He felt a small, comforting hand on his shoulder, but he was far too deep in his self pity to appreciate it. Looking behind him through tears filled eyes he screamed, "WILL YOU _FUCK OFF_?"

The creatures behind him all seemed surprised at the outburst, a few of them even letting out small sounds of the emotion. They didn't move as the man had requested but simply shrunk into themselves, their expressions ranging from pity to sadness to faint betrayal. Arthur regarded them silently for a moment before his face softened and he turned away to wipe the tears from his cheeks.

The creatures had been with him for as long as he could remember. They had bonded so well that even when he had moved to America they had left their home country to follow him. Truthfully, he had not spent as much time with them as he used to in the past, gaining both the responsibly of age as well as not wanting to be looked at as insane. Many of them may have looked rather ferocious at first glance, but whenever he needed them most they always seemed to find him, no mater what.

A young fairy, one of the few creatures among them that could communicate, slowly stepped up to his form and placed a tiny hand on his arm.

_Would you rather we left? _

There was only a second of thought before Arthur shook his had and continued to wipe away the tears that were trickling down his cheeks. "No...no...I apologize. The anger was not meant for you... Much like being able to see you was not supposed to hurt my family..." He didn't even realize he had said that last bit aloud until one of his friends climbed up on the bed and simply sat down in front of him, not caring when Arthur wrapped his arms around him and continue to weep on it's shoulder.

It wasn't often that the Brit found himself in this emotional state. The last time being brought on by the death of his best friend. Francis was there to comfort him then and although it was because of his husband that he was left in this state, he still wished he was here. He really was a bleeding fool. Mere hours after he's heard of his spouse committing adultery he wished him back. God damn that wine bastard.

Just how could he ever forgive him?

/ / / \ \ \

"Matt! Matt! Mattie wait!"

Matthew heard Alfred calling after him but his feet wouldn't stop. His mind was in a whirlpool, one thought barely finishing before another came tumbling in. He didn't even feel the hand grabbing his arm until he was forced to stop.

"Matt! _Stop it_!" Alfred spun his brother around and caught his shoulders in a firm grasp; the frustration clear on his visage. "I can't take it anymore! _Tell me what the hell is going on_!"

Without even a moment of consideration, Matthew obliged. "I see them! There _everywhere_! And it's because I made a connection with Arthur, Alfred! _Arthur_!"

Alfred's eyes widened in shock. Obviously he was not aware of Arthur's secret either. Then, almost like a switch had been pulled, they narrowed as though offended. "What? A connection with _Arthur_? Matt that's crazy! I think I would know if dad had an ability!"

"You wouldn't be saying that if you can see what I've seen!" Matthew snapped, though his face still begged him to agree. "I _know _I made a connection. Arthur has an ability, Alfred. He _told_ me."

Alfred opened his mouth as if to argue but the will to do so died before he could even start. He didn't know what to think. A large part of him urged to defend his step-father further but he was silent. Arthur didn't have an ability. To that fact he was...pretty sure but arguing about it wouldn't get them anywhere. Instead, he lowered a hand to grip onto Matthew's wrist and began pulling him down the dark and lonesome street. "We should go." It was dark now, so the only thing leading their way were the street lamps. Matthew brought them to a stop with one simple question.

"Where?"

Alfred paused and looked back at his twin who was looking back at him rather expectantly. He had intended to go back home but now realized that was the last place Matthew wanted to go. There was an awkward silence, the faint buzzing of the crickets suddenly more interesting. Just before the silence became a bit too long, Matthew wiggled his arm out of Alfred's grasp, turned around and started walking. It took a few seconds before Alfred jogged up beside him and matched his pace. Matthew barely spared him a glance before he spoke.

"You can go home if you want, Alfred."

It was incredibly faint but it was so foreign in Matthew's voice that Alfred heard the bitter undertone almost immediately. It hit a weak spot inside and his throat felt tight. Of all the people he thought would ever be bitter towards him, Matthew was the last person he'd expect. There were hundreds of things that he did and didn't want to say but he settled with, "Where would you go?"

"I...I need to talk with my guide."

He said guide but Alfred knew he meant boyfriend.

Alfred would later deny feeling any ping of jealousy. "I'll come with you."

Matthew threw a quick glance over at him before he looked back ahead, his jaw set. It was clear he didn't want Alfred to come along.

Alfred studied his twin for a minute before he looked down and watched their feet as they walked. His loyalties were certainly being put to the test. On one hand he had Arthur, his step father. The man who had practically raised him from before he could remember. He was back home in the most depressed state he had ever seen and he had no idea why. Then there was Matthew, his long lost twin. He knew more about his situation than Arthur's and yet it still confused him a whole fuck ton more. He was 'seeing things' and freaking over everything. For all he knew, his brother was on the first step towards insanity. Why else would he blame Arthur for...whatever.

His steps became slower and slower until he had come to a complete stop, watching Matthew's back as each step took him further away. His next words would decide his own fate. So the question was: Who did he place his loyalties with?

He was almost ashamed to say he knew the answer before he finished asking himself the question.

"Arthur can stuff it." Matthew turned and looked back at Alfred, the statement obviously taking him off guard. Alfred took a moment to look away and suppress the raising guilt. He didn't know if he truly believed what he was about to say next but he spilledit all out anyway. "I mean, seriously, I know that Papa and him are having a fight or something but I'm barely sixteen for fucks sake! This is the time that I start to defy him! Mattie...I don't know if he has an ability or not but I don't care. If _anyone_ needs my support right now, it's you Mattie. C'mon, I have six years of older brother shit I need to make up for. Don't tell me to go home." He stopped for a moment before he quickly added, "Not yet anyway."

Matthew just stared, his face shadowed from the street lamp behind him. Alfred sucked in his breath as he waited for the younger blond to do something. _Anything_. For the better part of several long moments nothing happened. Then, there was slight movement as Matthew reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, only breaking his eye contact with Alfred to call whatever number he wished to call. There was another moment of nothing before Matthews soft voice filled the silence of the night.

"Gilbert? It...It's...me..." Pause. "I...Alfred and I don't have anywhere to stay tonight."

Alfred supposed he should have been more concerned for Matthew's sudden melancholy behaviour but the only thing that registered in his mind was the fact that Matthew didn't reject him. He began towards his twin as Matthew ended the call. "He's going to pick us up." Matthew managed to say before he was pulled into a tight embrace.

A wave of relief washed over Alfred as he buried his face in the others shoulder, deeply inhaling his scent. For just a fleeting moment, he felt as if he had lost him. It was a stupid thought in retrospect. No matter what happened to them, as long as they were together, they would be fine.

Matthew didn't return the hug.

Approximately ten minutes later The Awesome Mobile rounded the corner. Not a word was exchanged as Alfred dragged the other into the backseat and Gilbert started up the car again. If it was another time, at least one of them would have found the silence unsettling. Though as it was, none of them even gave it a second thought. A human voice didn't even fill the air until the Prussian had pulled his excuse of a vehicle into the driveway of his house. "Gramps isn't here now so you don't have to worry about him being a fucking prick."

If not from what he had said, his clutched jaw and narrowed glare told the twins he wasn't having the best day of his life either. The three exited the car and made their way towards the house, multiple muffled barking greeting them as they went. "Oh yeah, those are Ludwig's dogs," Gilbert walked up to the door, and instead of opening it, knocked on the door and said, "Their with me."

As if the dogs understood want he had said, the barking ceased with one last assertive yelp. "_Don't _ask." Gilbert said when he noticed Alfred lips part to do just that. He opened the door and they walked inside single file, the three large dogs sitting around the door barely giving them enough room to pass. They sniffed at the newcomers viciously as they passed but made no move to follow.

"One of you can have Ludwig's room. He's not here right now because he's fucking _moron_." He muttered something in his own tongue as he ascended the stairs, the blonds following closely behind. "There's a pull out bed downstairs too but you'll probably wake up to one of Lud's dogs crashing your chest. Better than nothing. I see you didn't bring any shit so you can raid some of his stuff. My awesomeness sleeps over there. If you want anything though just get it yourself. Anyways, here's Ludwig's room, he wouldn't care if some of his stuff is missing." He stopped and pushed open a door to his left. "This is Lud's room. Go steal his shit."

He stopped talking and turned towards the two though looked elsewhere, his face in an angry pout as his thoughts became more self-centred. The twins blinked at the albino before they glanced at each other, their thoughts easily transferring to the other. Weird.

Alfred was the first one to enter the room, sending Gilbert one more look before he disappeared inside. Matthew meant to follow but just before he could a hand grabbing onto the back of his shirt stopped him. He looked back to see Gilbert staring back at him intently, studying him. They stayed that way for what felt like longer than it was, Matthew telling himself to look away but Gilbert's gaze not allowing it. Then, red eyes flickered over the American inside his brother's room. At the moment he was facing away from the two, opening up Ludwig's drawers and randomly tossing out clothes he didn't approve of. Focusing back on Matthew, Gilbert jerked his head in another direction before he let go and began to walk in the mentioned direction. Matthew only took a second to glance back at his brother before he followed behind the albino.

Gilbert waited for Matthew to walk into the room before he went in himself and pushed the door behind him. It didn't close completely but he didn't care enough to fix it. Matthew took a few seconds to glance about the room, the room that Gilbert pointed out as 'the room the awesome him sleeps in'. He didn't have time to make a full option of it. The only concrete thought he had formed was that the room was surprisingly neater then he would have expected before Gilbert had stepped in front of him. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and simply stared at Matthew, not saying a word. His face wasn't expressionless but it only held the minimal amount of emotion to not be considered a blank stare.

"I...I guess both our days have been pretty bad, eh?" Matthew said, forcing an unsure chuckle. Gilbert said nothing and the pathetic smile on Matthew's face couldn't maintain itself. He looked away from the other and focused his attention to a random spot on the floor, his hands fumbling with the bottom of his shirt. "I...I'm sorry. I...I shouldn't even be here but... I didn't know what else to do..." It wasn't until he had said those words that the entity of his situation came hurling down on him like a ton of bricks.

He couldn't go home. Not now. Not with Arthur there, the man with the horrible black surrounded by those horrible monsters. Where was Francis? Did he know of Arthur's ability too? Was it some kind of cruel inside joke between his spouse that he and Alfred were purposefully left out of? Alfred...though he had followed him here Matthew knew it was only because Alfred thought he was losing his mind. He couldn't blame him, he couldn't see what he could, but the last thing he wanted right now was someone to reinforce his thoughts. His chest and throat felt tight and the stinging behind his eyes happened so suddenly that his vision temporary blurred. He felt the presence of the black inside him. Perhaps it never left. Perhaps it would be with him the rest of his life. This fact scared him more than anything.

On the outside, the only thing he did to show his inner thoughts was raise a hand to clutch onto the fabric over his chest. He started talking again, unable to stop the words from tumbling out of his mouth. "You-you're probably concerned about Ludwig and, I-I...oh I...I shouldn't even be here, I'm s-so sorry. T-thank you but I...we should g—"

He didn't even realize how close Gilbert was until he felt arms wrap around his body and pull him close. Without even giving it a second thought, Matthew clung onto him and wept. Who knows how long they stayed that way, Matthew clinging shamelessly onto his shirt as Gilbert stroked his blond locks.

Alfred stood outside the room the entire time, his arms crossed as he stared at nothing in front of him.

/ / / \ \ \

It was nearly half an hour later that Gilbert walked out. He wasn't two steps out of his room before his eyes met Alfred's. They glared at each other simply to glare at each other. No reasons needed to be had, no explanations needed to be said. Gilbert was the one to break the contact. With an arrogant jerk of his head, he turned and went towards the stairs. For the fuck of it, Alfred followed.

"Where are you going?"

"Matt fell sleep in my room, so I'm sleeping downstairs," Gilbert stated very matter of fact. He began descending the stairs. "Ludwig's gonna be gone for a while so you can stay in his room for as long as you guys want."

"Matt and I are leaving tomorrow."

Though Gilbert was halfway down the stairs, he turned and scowled at the American, a sudden hot rage coursing through him. "What the _fuck_ is wrong with you?" At this point he probably would have yelled at whoever had crossed his path, Alfred just happened to be asking for it. "You really think you can control everything he does just because you share some genes?"

Alfred scowled back and in a second he had matched the Prussian's rage. "I'm his older _twin_ brother! Of course I know what's best for him!"

"Then why the fuck is he here, oh mighty Captain Shit For Brains? If you were really his older brother then you would have taken care of it!"

"_Shut your mouth_! You don't even know what you're talking about! Matt didn't tell you _shit _about what happened!"

"I don't have to know! Matt needed someone to comfort him without being such a fucker! _Gott_, that's what an older brother is suppose to do you fat sack of useless _fuck_!"

A flash of red completely clouded Alfred's thoughts and before he could even think about it he lunged at the albino. They tumbled down the stairs in a tangled mess, scratching and punching anything they could reach. Gilbert's back hit the floor with a loud _thud_ causing a small yelp of pain to escape his lips.

"_MOTHERFUCKER_!" He grabbed onto Alfred's shirt and reared back his fist. Alfred did the same, more than willing to put all his weight into the next punch. It was then, in the moment when the teens wanted to cause the most bodily harm towards the other, when the thought of murder did nothing but strengthen their resolve, did they hear something they shouldn't have been able to.

The faintest of disapproving sleep groans traipsed into their ears, stopping them dead.

Ah, of course. Even in his sleep he was a peace keeper. Alfred shoved Gilbert to the ground before he got off him and went back up the stairs, the exaggerated heaviness of his steps showing his frustration. Gilbert watched him go, panting heavily. Feeling something warm trickling down his chin, he reached up and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. He flinched a bit at the contact and swore under his breath when he saw blood. Great, fucker had managed to split his lip. It wasn't deep enough for a stitch but now that his adrenalin was rapidly fading it was starting to sting.

He pushed himself to his feet, his back aching at the movement. It was now that he noticed the three dogs that had gathered around him. "Where the fuck were you?" He snapped, earning nothing but blank stares. "Stupid dogs..." He mumbled before walking around them to go tend to his lip.

_Gott_... The best thing he could say about today was it was ending.

/ / / \ \ \

... ... ...

"_ICH TU' DIR WEH, TUT MIRNICHT LEID!_"

Matthew nearly jumped out of the bed at the sudden loud German, looking about the unfamiliar room with enhanced panic. Where was he? How did he get here? Who's room was this? What was going on? Where was that noise coming from?

_Where was that noise coming from? _

He blindly flailed his hand to the side until he had eventually hit something that made the room silent. Relaxing back into the bed he threw his arm over his face; his naked eyes only showing him shapes and blurs. He allowed himself to lay there, generally allowing the events of the night before to slip back into his tired mind. As the memories came back he found himself getting more and more embarrassed. Had he really acted so rash? Just so he could find some comfort? Though he supposed it had worked.

The memories still caused him pain but it wasn't enough for him to act on it. It was a dull kind of pain, one that he could live with. With the hand not covering his eyes he grabbed at the fabric over his chest. The black was still there. It was so faint he couldn't even feel it but a voice in the back of his head ensured him it was there. It frightened him, of course it frightened him but it would probably remain inside him for the rest of his life. It was meaningless to be afraid forever.

He reached out to the side again, more cautious this time, and began to feel around the side table there. Eventually, he found what he was looking for and slipped his glasses back on his face. He opened his eyes and blinked at the ceiling, realizing there was something taped to it. Several pieces of white printer paper were taped together, decorated words written proudly in various colourful markers adding substance. The first couple of words were written largely in German though underneath lay the English translation in smaller characters. Matthew tilted his head to the side before he read:

_I am the most awesome person in the WORLD! _

Matthew couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. Of course, he would wouldn't he? It wasn't enough to constantly remind everyone of his awesomeness, Gilbert also had to be reminded of that fact every time he woke up. Of course...

He propped himself up on his elbows before he took a more thorough look around the room. Last night he thought that it was rather neat in spite of Gilbert's personality and those thoughts were unchanged. Other than the laundry basket in the corner that had clothes on top of it rather than in it, the place all looked very organized. The rest of the room held no other surprises. A Prussian blue graced the walls, a proud what he guessed to be Prussian flag on the opposite wall accompanying it. A dresser topped with several hair products, colognes and deodorants stood awkwardly next to the foot to the bed, a desk with numerous papers just across the room to it. Random boxes that he supposed were used for storage were scattered about the room and a TV was nestled quite snugly in the corner. Surprisingly Matthew found himself a little...disappointed. He had expected more. After getting acquainted with 'The Awesome Mobile' he just assumed his room would be more of a mess.

Pushing the thin blankets off himself, he climbed out of bed and frowned when he saw he had slept in his day clothes. Arugh, he was gonna have weird imprints on his skin for the rest of the day. Not to mention he now felt uncomfortably shabby. He would have to take a shower when he got ho—

...

He'd ask Gilbert if it was alright for him to shower here. He started to leave the room but paused and turned back to fix up the bed. He supposed it was the least he could do. Smoothing out the sheets he stepped back to ensure everything was in order before he turned to leave once more.

_Pii Pii_!

Stopping, he turned around and looked about the room. Nothing. He lingered for a moment longer before he took one step towards the door.

_Pii Pii_!

He spun around and located the source immediately. There, nestled comfortably at the far edge of the dresser was a bird cage, a yellow fluff ball bouncing up and down inside it. Curious, he approached the edge and peered inside, realizing the fluff ball was the chick that inhabited it.

"Hello little bird." Matthew said with a small smile. It was just so cute. "Is Gilbert your owner?" At the mention of the Prussian teen the bird chirped happily making Matthew laugh. "I didn't even notice you. Were you there the whole time?" His thoughts turned to last night and he found himself embarrassed. "I'm...sorry about last night. I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable." The bird tilted his head and ruffled his feathers. Obviously it didn't understand what Matthew had said but the fact that it did something left him feeling better. "Thank you." The bird chirped before it turned away now disinterested in the blond.

Taking this as a sign to leave, he did just so; attempting to smooth out his bed head as he went to find his boyfriend. Eventually he found him in the kitchen, sitting at the table with a coffee mug in hand. Gilbert looked up when the other had entered and smiled. "Hey birdie. You want some coffee? And I actually mean coffee not sex but I'm up for that too."

"Oh, um n-no thanks." Matthew said with a faint blush. Gilbert laughed and he changed the subject. "I-I saw the bird in your room."

Gilbert's face seemed to light up at the mention of the bird. "Yeah that's Gilbird the third. He's awesome, like me! You can let him out of his cage."

There was a small pause before Matthew left the room. A few minutes later he returned, the top of his head now Gilbird's nest. Gilbert found this humorous though Matthew seemed concerned. "He's not going to poo on me is he?"

"Nah he's far too awesome for that." As if feeling that his awesomeness was not appreciated with Matthew he flew over to Gilbert instead and landed on his head. Gilbert smirked at it and turned his attention back to Matthew, like it was normal to have a bird on your head. "Looks like you slept well, you look cuter than last night."

Matthew blushed again and he wondered if Gilbert as saying those kinds of things on purpose. "Um...ah...about last night—"

"Shut up."

Matthew blinked at the other, his answer catching him off guard. "Eh?"

"I know what you're going to say." Gilbert coughed into his fist before he widened his eyes and blinked them several times, feigning innocence. "'I-I'm sorry for intruding like this. I'm sure you were busy and-and I just came and-and, oh no I'm so sorry..."

"_What_? I-I don't sound like that!" Matthew fumed, face now completely red. It didn't help that he _was_ going to say something along those lines. "But...with what happened with Ludwig I..."

"Gramps kicked me out the hospital and told me to go home. Said I was spending way too much time there." He tried to wave it off but Matthew could tell it still upset him. "Though it seemed like you needed my awesomeness more. Ludwig is my brother so it makes him a little awesome by association. I'm not worried about him."

Of course he was worried. Hell if it was Alfred Matthew probably—

"Oh!" Matthew called out, feeling a little bad that he completely forgot to ask about this until now. "Um, Alfred, is he—"

"He left," Gilbert stated bluntly, the faint facial twitch going unnoticed by the blond. "Said he was gonna stay at Kiku's house for a bit cause he can't stand my awesomeness."

Matthew rolled his eyes before he decided that standing awkwardly at the kitchen entrance was, well, awkward and sat down at the table across from Gilbert. There was a small silence before he addressed the elephant in the room. "But, um...About last night..."

Gilbert made a noise like he was listening. "You wanna talk about it?" He asked as he sipped on his coffee.

Matthew hesitated. He thought that when it came to this point he would be more than eager to talk and explain himself; but he didn't. He looked down at his lap and began twiddling his thumbs, not sure what to do. Well, he had brought it up, he had to say something.

"Um...Gil?" He said this to get Gilbert's attention even though he already had it. "How would you feel if, um...Ludwig had an ability?"

Gilbert seemed rather bemused by the question. "West? Pst, that might explain why he did something so stupid like force Feli to give back his wound. If anything he has the power of homo love sickness."

"That's not what I mean." He knew Gilbert's words were directed towards Ludwig but, well, Ludwig wasn't even here. "I mean...What if he's known for...awhile?"

"Awhile, huh?" Gilbert's first answer seemed to amuse him but before he could voice them another thought changed his option. He took the better part of several long moments drinking his coffee and thinking. The whole picture seemed so out of place. There he was, the usual narcissistic, rash, hyper and weird Gilbert Beilschmidt sitting quite calmly, his red eyes barely visible over the mug as he lost himself to his own thoughts. It was the first time that Matthew had ever associated Gilbert with the word mature that didn't have 'is not' in-between, but in this moment, he really did look quite mature. The faint _bamf_ of the mug landing back on the table disturbed his thoughts and he looked to Gilbert to find him ready to answer.

"I'll be pretty fucking _pissed_." Gilbert answered honestly, the bird on his head chirping almost angrily as it agreeing with him. "Especially since it took years for the fucker to believe I had one but then I would get past it, because I'm awesome and—"

"But wait, wait," Matthew interrupted, surprised at the answer. "You'd forgive him? Just like that?"

"Not _just_ like that," Gilbert said with a slight sadistic smirk. "If he did that I'd make him my bitch for a year _kesese_."

Matthew didn't reply so Gilbert continued to speak again. "So later I'm gonna go and grace my brother with my awesome presence. You want to come?"

_What happened with that whole speech about not worrying about him? _Matthew thought but he chose not to voice it. Instead he said—

Well, nothing as at that moment his cell phone began vibrating in his pocket. Curious, he pulled it out and looked at the caller ID. "I-I'm sorry Gil, I need to get this." He apologized again before he answered his phone. "Hello?"

"_Good morning, comrade Matvey! How are you today_?"

"Good morning, Ivan." If he was paying attention to Gilbert he would have seen his brow deepen at the name. "And um...I...haven't...well...not so good." Matthew decided to reply in full honesty. Surprisingly this earned him a:

"_That's perfect! Just what I need for your test today_!"

Matthew blinked, a dread that was always associated with the word test raising in him. "S-sorry. Test?" He could practically hear Ivan nodding on the other end.

"_Da, da! You are learning so fast that I decided to set up a little challenge for you comrade_!"

This was a little strange. There wasn't a time where he recalled Ivan telling him that he had improved in any way. This 'challenge' seemed completely out of the blue. Though...It was him who had asked to become his student. If Ivan thought he was ready then, "W-well okay."

"_That's good to hear! So you'll met me at the warehouse at around noon, da?_"

"Da—I mean yes. Yes, I'll see you there." A moment later Matthew heard the dial tone. Suppressing a small sign, Matthew hit the little red button that ended the call.

The date was set.

* * *

******Song: Ich Tu Dir W****************e**h by Rammst**************e**i****n. Hardcor**************e**.  


******I think that this is th********e** first chapt******e**r wh******e********re I f********e********e**l th******e** most sorry for Alfr******e**d. :\  


******My, this story has taken a bit of a turn for the serious hasn't it? Normally by now I'd be like 'Here's a completely meaningless fun chapter! A-derp!' But I can't do that now... please don't kill me for what I have planned next.  
Argh! Finally, Gilbird! I'v********e** b******e********e**n trying to g******e**t him in this story sinc******e** chapt******e**r 9! Littl******e** birdi******e** littl******e** birdi******e** yay!  


**Sometimes I completely forget that I've been writing this story for over a year until I have to write Gilbert. At the start of the story I wrote him as a slightly watered down version of his manga character (just because he's younger) but now that I'm this far I'm like 'Well, Gilbert would probably say something like this because when he was this old this happened to him and because of that he was a guide for this long and blah blah blah.' I should probably write more about Gilbert's past, it's really quite interesting.**

**Arthur always struck me as a guy with a self-esteem problem just because he's such a defensive guy. It always seems to be those ones... **

**Anyways, thank you **TheAwesomeMeThatIsPrussia, Kuraitsuki Tukiko, ChibiKillerPanda, Her Diary, RedmapleLeafinFall, Fierce Kitten, Silvermoon of Forestclan, Mikadocon, Cruz-Hime, A Bleach-Drinking Hetalian, It's A Bonsai Tree, Berry Doyle, otaku876, fan girl 666, Leite Destiny, The-doodle-queen, MatthewKirklandWilliams, Anji-Chan666, Axxi, Me, SchemingAlchemist, SaxyMisty, FlyingSolo365, cutegixie, xmitsubachix, Nayli28, Don'tMessWithAFangirl, UnicornHorn, earthluva, AmayahAki , Miggery, Darkmoonphase, MaryMew** and **Kagimine** for the reviews!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	42. Oracles

**Hey guys! Kitty29 here with a new chapter of Colours! OW!**

**I apologize for it taking so long to write this chapter. In my make shift schedule this was supposed to be finished two weeks ago but the foul temptations of video games caught me in there web of lies. **_**Lies **_**I say! LIES!**  
**...**  
**That being said I am now able to freely fangirl about Mass Effect and Dragon Age. I simply chose not to right now. Just so you know.**

**Anyways the story!**

**Special thanks to **MaryMew** for not only betaing (beta'd?) this chapter but for doing it super fast and super throughly so I can post it sooner. Shes just...shes just...ARGHEGSWAIUD -wordsfail-**

**Right! Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Matthew felt bad for not going to the hospital with Gilbert to check on Ludwig but Gilbert's grandfather was right about one thing: they were spending too much time there. Way too much time. He was growing a disdain for white.

Walking up to the small hill leading to the warehouse he noticed Ivan standing just outside, waiting for him. He waved as soon as he saw him and Matthew timidly waved back.

"About time, da?" Ivan said with amusement as soon as the Canadian had reached him.

"S-sorry," Matthew automatically apologized, though checking the time he noted it to be 12:06. The meeting time was noon.

Ivan chuckled and slapped Matthew merrily on the shoulder, though used a little too much force and sent the teen stumbling to the side. "I was joking. Matvey, you should really start seeing the lighter side of things."

Matthew simply smiled warily at the other, not wanting to say anything to further the buddy-buddy atmosphere in case Ivan 'playfully' hit him again. "So, um...You said something about a test?"

Ivan made a noise as if he just remembered why he was here. "Ah, yes. I have a special friend for the test today. Did you know my parents had children after me?"

"Uh, no. I didn't."

Ivan nodded, a pleased smile on his lips. "Oh yes. I hear you share a friendship with one of my younger sisters. Her name is Katyusha."

Matthew's eyes widened. Katyusha? Really? But...Oh, wait. Braginski, right. Wow, now he felt a bit guilty. Katyusha was one of his good friends, how did he not put two and two together sooner?

Seeing Matthew's surprise, Ivan laughed and proceeded to 'playfully' hit him again. Ow. "That is enough laughter for now. It is time to get down to business, as they say." He waited until Matthew had collected himself before he continued. "Now Matvey, what was the event that had you feeling not so good?"

Matthew paused before he bit the inside of his cheek. He was trying not to think about the events of yesterday, deciding it to be a little too much drama than he's used to handling alone.

A full minute of silence passed before Ivan broke it. "You do not have to say anything. I just need you to not feel the greatest again."

Matthew was rather confused and he couldn't help but look at his teacher suspiciously. "But why?"

"I will be honest with you; this challenge will not be a walk in the cake."

"...You mean a walk in the park?"

"Matvey I am disappointed. Your full attention should be on the test."

"..I-I'm sorry?"

"Good. The test is to make another feel as bad as you were."

"O-Oh no! I can't do that!" Matthew replied, guilt rising with even the_ thought_ of forcing someone to feel what he felt last night. "I-Ivan you don't understand! After what happened last night I just...I just ca—"

"Matvey." Ivan grabbed onto Matthew shoulders, the act gaining the others full attention. "I would not ask you to do these kinds of things if I did not think it would help."

The serious expression that rarely showed itself on Ivan's face did nothing to help with Matthew's decision. "But...this just seems too cruel. This can't be the only way to do this, w—"

"There will be a time when your ability will be used to do things that you don't want to do. Do not think that it won't happen to you._ Especially_ because it is you. It. Will. _Happen_ and if you don't learn to deal with it now it will damage you in ways unimaginable. This is the only way I can make sure you are sane. _The only way!_" Ivan ripped his hands back and shoved them in his pockets, looking away with such a foreign expression that Matthew couldn't even guess at what it was; honestly too scared to find out.

...

"...I'm sorry."

Ivan turned to him and in a second his usual board line creepy smile was back full force. "Silly boy. Don't apologize."

Matthew simply nodded, still stunned over the others completely random tirade. Obviously he was rather passionate about him taking this test, even if it meant harming someone else. Even if it meant harming Ivan's sister. "I..." Why was this decision so much harder than it should have been? "...Katyusha."

Ivan tilted his head and studied him, his smile still present. "I will not force you to do anything." He finally said. "But you must make a decision soon or people will get bored. So I will make it easier for you."

Matthew perked up at 'easier' and he stared at Ivan with great anticipation.

"It all depends on whether you are comfortable in placing your entire trust in me or not."

What the—How was that—but that didn't…That just made it harder to decide! Now on top of thinking about Katyusha's sake he had to worry about offending Ivan?

Just...Wha...

Wha...

"What...What do you want me to do?"

/ / / \ \ \

"Yong Soo! If you don't stop playing video games your eyes will go bad, aru!"

"Aw, Aniki! I know you cared, da~ze!"

"Only because I know you'll come and complain to me!"

"You're so mean to me Yao, and right after I lost to the last boss! So mean so mean_ so mean!_"

"Ah, I'm sorry to interrupt but lunch is nearly prepared and—"

_Ding Dong_

The three looked in the direction of the front door, none of them expecting a visitor. Yong Soo, ever the optimist, bounced towards the door. "I'll get it!" He called merrily, his mind happily making up a list of people he would like to see visit. He opened the door and a large grin spread over his face when he saw the person standing there was number one on his list. Though after a brief look over his smile vanished. "Ah, Alfred! Your face! What happened?"

Alfred scratched the back of his neck and glanced down at his feet before he looked back up and cleared his throat. "It's nothing." He replied curtly, gracelessly wiping his nose with the back of his hand. "So, ah...you busy?"

"Oh no, no, no, da~ze!" Yong Soo quickly pulled him inside and closed the door behind them. He led Alfred into another room and forced him to sit on the couch with him. Grabbing onto Alfred's chin he moved his head this way and that, inspecting all the marks and bruises that marred his skin.

"It's nothing! Really!" Alfred repeated as he pushed the others hand away. "What kind of hero would I be if I couldn't take a few hits, right?"

Usually that would have elicited a chuckle from the Korean but he stayed silent, instead opting to look over him in worry.

"Who was at the do—" Yao paused as he entered the room and saw the blond. "Ah, you're Matthew's brother, aru."

Alfred paused, not used to being called 'Matthew's brother'. "Uh, yeah I'm—"

"Aniki! Al's hurt what do we do, da~ze!"

"I'm fine!"

Yao carefully looked over Alfred's wounds and blinked. "Did you get beat up, aru?"

"No!" Alfred proclaimed, quite exasperated. The various marks and bruises on his face were just that, marks and bruises. Some had started to swell, making them look worse than they were; though as far as 'battle scars' went, they were pretty minor. "I'm fine! It doesn't even hu—_Ow!_" Alfred couldn't help the wince of pain when Yong Soo suddenly jabbed a finger right in the middle of a blue mark.

"You're a liar!"

"Obviously it hurts if you _stab my face!_"

"My fingernails aren't that long, da~ze!"

"There like freakin' Wolverine!"

"But you're the only—hmm!" Another mouth meeting his own in a short kiss promptly cut him short.

Alfred leaned forward and pressed his forehead against the other's shoulder. "Thanks."

Yong Soo blinked several times. "Wha-What was that, da~ze?"

Alfred sighed, leaning more of his weight onto the smaller boy as he exhaled. "More thanks for worrying about me."

Yong Soo blinked stupidly, not sure what to make of that answer. He turned his head and noticed his two relatives staring back at him. Though the smile tried to hide it, the flush that coloured his cheeks clearly portrayed his embarrassment. Kiku excused himself and went away, muttering something about indecency under his breath, though Yao chose to stay behind and look at the two almost suspiciously. "Yong Soo...did something happen with Matthew?"

Yong Soo looked at him as if to say 'how the heck should I know?' but a melancholy sigh from Alfred kept him silent. "Hum, yeah. All this abilities shit is making hi—" Alfred suddenly jerked upright and turned his glare to Yao. "You!" He accused with unnecessary passion. Yao took a step back and half-heartily raised his arm as if expecting the teen to attack.

"Me?"

"Where do you get off telling my little brother there's a murderer after him?"

This seemed to be news to both listeners. "What? Aniki! How could you do something like that?"

"I didn't say there would be a murderer after him! That's just unnecessary!" Yao defended, though his stance relaxed and he sighed. "I shouldn't have told people before the meeting, aru. I won't make that mistake again."

Alfred stared at him for a beat before his shoulders sagged and he slumped onto Yong Soo again. "Sorry I snapped, can't say I had the best night in the land."

Yong Soo regarded the other with sympathy, stroking his hair in what he hoped to be a comforting way. "What happened?"

"I don't even know and I've been wondering about it all night." Alfred paused to run a hand down his face. "Matt just started flipping out. Saying that my dad has an ability and some...black thing or...something I don't know."

Yao and Yong Soo exchanged worried glances before Yao walked over and sat next to Alfred. "Black, aru?"

"Yeah he...never actually told me about it but he was muttering about 'seeing black' like some crazy person. I mean, Matt's not going crazy, right? It's a...it's got to be a colour thing, right?"

"Is this the first time he's said anything about seeing black?"

"I...yeah I guess. He seemed pretty freaked out."

"Wait, so he actually saw the black?" Yong Soo asked rather eagerly.

Alfred sat up and looked between the two suspiciously. He buried his face in his hands for a moment before he looked at his friend, frustrated. "Seriously, can _someone_ please explain what is going on?"

"We need The Oracle, aru."

Alfred looked to Yao, confused. "The Oracle? Don't tell me Uncle Ox has something to do with this."

Yao shook his head. "Not a normal oracle. _The_ Oracle."

"We don't need The Oracle." Yong Soo added with a small laugh. "Not for this, da~ze. Everything's fine."

"We need The Oracle." Yao repeated bluntly. "He saw black. We need him."

"Black is a normal colour, da~ze."

"You know what I mean."

"What the _hell_ are you talking about?" Alfred cut in, extremely confused.

Yong Soo shook his head. "Nothing, da~ze. Don't worry about it. The Oracles just a stor—"

"Yong Soo, go help Kiku make lunch." Yao suddenly demanded.

"But he's already—"

Yao gave him a look that only Yong Soo seemed to understand. He slumped in defeat before he looked to Alfred and bowed. "I'm really, really sorry. I'll be back." He stayed for a few moments longer to touch Alfred's cheek and regard him with pity before he stood and left.

Not knowing how to react to his friend sudden somber behaviour he was almost grateful when Yao told him what to do next. "Call Matthew, aru." Yao ordered rather than invited. "Do you need a phone?"

"Nah I hav—" Alfred stilled when the pocket he reached into ended up empty. Ah shit, did he leave his phone back at the cafe? Fuck, just another stupid thing to add.

Noticing this, Yao reached over to the table beside him and picked a cordless phone out of its charger. He handed it to Alfred. "Do you remember his number?"

Alfred nodded and took the phone, easily dialling his twin's number. It rang.

"Do not answer."

Matthew glanced at Ivan before he looked back at his phone. He didn't recognize the number so he did what was told and turned off the device. Perhaps it as for the best, he should remain focused on his task rather than the unease that grew with each step.

"Sorry for my impatience but this is something both of us want done quickly, da?" Ivan placed a hand on Matthew's back and urged him towards the stairway faster. "It is not a difficult task. It is like the time you had to make Lovino calm when we failed to wake up Feliciano. Except this time you are to make her feel…scared, helpless, sorry."

The unease continued but Matthew tried his best to push it aside. This was...an important task, he was sure. His mind needed to be sharp. Maybe…Maybe even doing this would make some sense of yesterday's events. It was a long shot, but it was the most positive idea he could latch onto. They reached the stairs and started to descend. As they went a small pressure pushed on Matthew's head though he quickly dismissed it as nerves.

He looked down at the only furniture in the basement and saw Katyusha sitting innocently at the head of the table. Whatever unease had built inside him doubled at the sight of her. They reached the ground floor and immediately Ivan led him over to the table.

"Just do as I told and everything will be fine, da?"

Matthew looked up at him and slowly nodded, earning a small smile. The blond sat at the opposite end of Katyusha, fumbling with his shirt in guilt. He didn't know what to say. What could one say before intently making the other miserable?

He glanced upwards and their eyes met. Katyusha's shoulders lifted before she flashed him her usual slightly unsure smile. For some reason, this calmed Matthew and he couldn't help but send back a small nervous smile of his own. He felt a hand on his shoulder. "It is time."

Matthew nodded hesitantly and looked down at his lap, swallowing thickly. "I'll sorry." He apologized before he quickly looked at Katyusha's colours.

The state of her colours surprised Matthew enough that he lost sight of it nearly as soon as he found it. However, he only allowed himself a few seconds to recover before he looked into it once more. Her colours were completely erratic; rapidly morphing and shifting to a point where it was hard to tell where one started and another began. His eyes rapidly darted from colour to colour, just making out the meaning of one before it vanished before his eyes. His first thought was to break contact and turn to Ivan for help but something held him there, something that couldn't be explained. He tried grabbing at whatever he could reach but couldn't get a proper grip before it slipped away.

He cussed inwardly, a new found determination over coming any guilt he had previously accumulated. He forced his way through and forced a navy blue to expand. Immediately all the shifting and changing stopped; as if the other colours were shocked by the sudden intrusion. Seizing the opportunity he grabbed onto the stunned colours and forced them to grow and shrink as he pleased. The emotions soon turned to putty at his will and with them he did as Ivan had instructed. Pearls of blue, purple and green danced to his melody and soon that was all there was. Then, sooner than it had started, there was nothing.

Matthew sat there dumbfounded, as his senses grew used to the normal world of complex shapes and shades. He looked ahead of him. Katyusha was gone. Fast footsteps made him look towards the stairway where he was just able to catch a figure disappear onto the ground above.

"...She ran away." Ivan stated, looking at the stairway in worry. Matthew looked to him, blinking several times.

"I...did like you said...right?" Matthew asked unsure, the words feeling weird on his tongue. Ivan looked to him blankly before his gaze was back on the stairs. Matthew reached up to touch his forehead and was surprised to find that he was sweating. It was light and barely formed, but still there. Eventually Ivan looked to him again and smiled his usual smile.

"I cannot give you an 'A' but you did pass your challenge." He patted the boy on the head. "Good job, Matvey."

Matthew allowed himself a small smile at the praise though it immediately vanished when he recalled just what he had to do to earn it. He looked at the opposite end of the table before he looked back to Ivan. "K-Katyusha. Is she...?"

"She is fine, do not worry about her." He responded. There was a small pause before he added, "What you have done may have actually helped her."

"...Eh?"

Ivan pulled out his iPod to check the time. "Ah, I must be leaving now. Want to walk with me?"

Violet eyes lingered on the place his good friend was sitting just minutes ago. With a slow hesitant nod Matthew forced himself up and walked out of the warehouse with his teacher. As they went he remembered to turn his phone back on and was alarmed to find several missed calls and texts from people he didn't know. He read the latest message:

_Mutherfucker has a blackberry! It's ur bro Alfred y u turn phone off? Get ur ass over to Kiku's house like now. Srly. Now._

Kiku's house, hm? Just why did Alfred want him to do that? After this he was planning on going back to Gilbert's house. Though thinking about it now, didn't Gilbert say he was going back to the hospital today? If he went to his house now it would probably be empty, or Gilbert's grandfather would be there. Oh that would be awkward.

"Thank you for coming today. Would you like to be driven elsewhere?" Ivan asked, bringing the teen from his thoughts.

"If it's not too much trouble..." Matthew replied timidly. Ivan simply shook his head in a negative and they walked down the small hill, where his car was awkwardly parked a few feet from the road. Matthew quickly scrolled through his other texts as they walked, hoping that his brother had enough sense to tell him the address of the place he was supposed to be.

They reached the vehicle and Ivan unlocked it. "Where am I taking you?"

Just before the larger man had finished his sentence Matthew found what he was looking for; causing a small sigh of relief. It was in the last text that Matthew had read, or rather the first text that Alfred had sent. Oh, for once Alfred appeared to be one step ahead of him.

Matthew passed on the information and they entered the car and drove off.

/ / / \ \ \

Upon his arrival at Kiku's house Matthew found Yao waiting for him on the front porch. "Hello Yao. What are you doing here?"

"Babysitting, aru. Kiku's parents are out." Yao answered honestly. His brow ceased and he tilted his head, staring at Matthew quite intently. Matthew, fazed by the sudden interest in his face, subconsciously leaned away from the other, which Yao responded by leaning a little closer. He glanced about as if to see if anyone else found this as strange as he did, but he and Yao were the only ones there.

"Um…" Came Matthew's strong start. "Is…Is there something on my face?"

"No." Yao didn't stop staring. "…How are you feeling?"

It was a simple question, but from the way he was staring Matthew could only guess at its deeper meaning. "Um…Okay, I guess…"

Yao continued to study him for several long moments, not noticing or not caring about Matthew's increasing discomfort. Eventually, his gaze softened and he straightened up with a faint hum. "Hm. The black hasn't seemed to affect your physical appearance yet."

Matthew froze.

"You know?" Matthew blunted out before his brain could even recover from the shock.

"Of course." Yao answered almost proudly. "We should go inside, aru. I'll explain there."

Mathew nodded numbly, following the man into the house. He was barely two steps inside before his vision went dark as someone clammed their hands over his glasses. "ARGH!"

"Guess who?"

"_Gil!_" Matthew removed the hands from his face and turned to face the albino. "What are you doing here? I thought you were visiting Ludwig."

"I was. Then Yao called and told me to come down. Something about moral support." He shrugged before he smirked. "I think the guy just wants to see how fast I'll respond like the good bitch I am."

"I resent that, aru."

Gilbert laughed and Yao continued on, leading them into the family room. Alfred was there, sitting on a couch and idly watching television with Kiku. He glanced up at the new arrivals. Matthew smiled timidly and raised his hand in greeting. Alfred regarded him for a moment before nodding his head in acknowledgment and looking away. Matthew physical deflated at the cold welcome. He could kind of understand why Alfred would be annoyed at him but it didn't make it sting any less. He felt Gilbert lay a comforting hand on his back and he appreciated the gesture.

"Okay." Yao picked up the remote besides Alfred and turned off the television. "Black. I don't know much about it so The Oracle is going to tell you himself, aru."

"Hold up. Are you talking about THE Oracle?" Gilbert inquired. Yao nodded but Gilbert didn't believe him. "Bullshit. Even I couldn't track down the guy. Not to mention the last anyone's heard from him he was in…Europe."

"The Oracle?" Matthew asked. "Who's that?"

"The Oracle is the guy who has the same ability as the first known person with abilities. There's never more than one person with that ability at a time." Gilbert answered. "That's what the rumours say anyway but you can't believe everything you see on the internet."

"He's probably one of the most important oracles we know so far, aru." Yao said passively, idly twirling his ponytail around his finger.

"Important?" Alfred repeated with a raised brow. "So he's super powerful or something?"

"In a sense." Yao replied curtly. "Not the destroy buildings with his mind though if that's what you mean. We're not mutants, aru."

Gilbert laughed. "Ha! If fucking only. I'd be more awesome than Wolverine."

Yao just shrugged, not looking very interested about anything.

"...Um, you aren't very excited about this..." Matthew added quietly. It was a little odd; Yao was usually excited when it came to abilities, especially rare or powerful abilities. He expected Yao to at least have a hint of a smile on his face or a sprinkle in his eye when he talked about the most powerful oracle that could ever live, but it just seemed like he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.

Yao sighed but said nothing about it. Hearing faint footsteps he looked to the entrance of the room. "Everyone. This is The Oracle."

Everyone looked to the newcomer.

"You've got to be fucking me."

"I'm ready, da~ze!"

* * *

**Mm, for some reason I just wasn't feeling this chapter. Dunno why.**  
**...I-I mean. This story is amazing! Self-promotion to the MAX.**

**For some reason the line 'Did you know my parents had children after me?' makes me laugh every time and I dunno why. Oh Ivan, you're one of the funer characters to write.**

**Thank you** natcat5, MaryMew, DarkChocolateKiss , xIkuna, Chatlantic, Leite Destiny, FlyingSolo365, otaku876, Her-Bloody-Majesty, fan girl 666, Mikadocon, cutegixie, MatthewKirklandWilliams, Axxi, Puffin Person, bleach-otaku, earthluva, watmyname, SaxyMisty, Chelseaj500, NinjaCatKayo, Silvermoon of Forestclan, Miggery, whatsmynameagain, The Hungry Writer, haruka4676 **and** Lupo Artistico **for the reviews!**

**Thank you for reading!**


	43. Black

**Hey guys! Kitty29 here with the new chapter of Colours, updated later than I wanted it to! WOOHOO.**

**First of all welcome al new comers! I seem to have had a random surge of new readers last chapter and so I welcome you all and thank you for continuing to read my story! (As well as the headings of them ohohoh.) **

**I'm surprised at the confusion of who the Oracle was in the past chapter, as I was seriously considering whether or not to put that last line in there but in the end I gotboth reactions I was going for so OHOHO  
Sorry if that makes no sense I'm at a friends house right now and should be focusing on her and not this OKAY LETS GO.**

**Thank you **MaryMew** for the awesome beta as usual, hope to use your amazing services in the future!**  
**ONWARD!**

* * *

... ...

... ...

Gilbert turned to Yao, his expression serious. "Really? _This_ guy?"

Yao opened his mouth as if to speak but decided against it. Instead he nodded with a sigh, his shoulders sagging as he exhaled deeply.

Gilbert groaned melodramatically and ran a hand down his face. He muttered something to himself before he began gesturing towards Yong Soo frantically. "_Really?_ The Oracle has been in front of my face for _two fucking months_ and no one mentioned it? I've been trying to contact this guy for years!"

Yong Soo looked at the other with guilt. "I'm sorry, da~ze! I've been busy!"

Gilbert scowled before he turned his anger to Alfred. "And you! You've been fucking the most powerful oracle in the world!"

"_How was I supposed to know?_" Alfred retorted before he rounded on his boyfriend. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Yong Soo shrugged, honestly not seeing just why everyone was so upset. "You never asked."

"_Who the hell_ would ask something like that?"

"A lot of people, da~ze."

Alfred grew even angrier and he quickly pushed aside an emotion he refused to believe was betrayal. He made to speak but someone beat him to it.

"Yao said you could tell us about the black." Matthew stepped forward. Though his hands were wringing the bottom of his shirt nervously, his stare was determined. "Please. Tell us what you know."

The room was silent for a beat, just enough time for Alfred to compose his thoughts and retort; "_Seriously?_ The guys deceived us since we first met him!"

"W-wha—I didn't _deceive_ you, da~ze!" Yong Soo added, horrified. His cry went unheard.

"I made a connection with Arthur, Alfred." Matthew stated, not taking his eye off The Oracle. Yong Soo paused and titled his head at the blond.

Alfred let out a frustrated growl. "Dad doesn't have an ability!"

Yong Soo's brow ceased in thought as he looked at Matthew curiously.

"If he had one I think _I_ would know!"

Yong Soo began to walk towards Matthew, still regarding him curiously.

"I've been around _much_ longer than y—"

"_Shush!_" Yao suddenly demanded, now staring at Matthew intently.

The Korean didn't stop advancing until he was uncomfortably close. "This is weird."

Though Matthew felt the strong need to put some distance between them, he ignored it as best he could. "W-What's weird?"

"You have more black in you than I thought." Though his words made it sound curious, he seemed more bemused. "How did you hide from me?"

Hiding? "But I-I'm not hiding."

"Not intentionally." He moved closer still until their noses were nearly touching. "Do you want to get away now?"

"I-I..." Yong Soo lightly touched Matthews face with the back of his hand, making him physically flinch. He really did want to get away. Badly. "...no."

"Good. Cause this is gonna be really weird, da~ze." Not even allowing Matthew to form a coherent thought after his words, he shoved his palm into his stomach. Matthew, wind suddenly knocked out of him, nearly stumbled backwards but Yong Soo grabbed his arm and pulled him forward, smashing their lips together. Matthew let out a small squeak of surprise, giving Yong Soo all the opportunity to slip his tongue inside his mouth.

His immediate thought was to push The Oracle away but before his body was over the shock something happened. Everything...lessened. His need to get away, his surprise, his...ability to think straight. Heaviness suddenly washing over him his body physically slumped; though at the same time he felt as if he was floating. The palm on his stomach was ever present, a warm sensation creeping into his skin from where it touched. What was this...what was it...taking...

"Mattie!"

"What the hell?"

Matthew and Yong Soo stumbled away from each other as if an invisible force had pushed them apart. Thankfully, there were people behind each to catch them before could trip over furniture.

"Mattie?" Alfred and Gilbert helped study the dazed teen on his feet, both clearly concerned. "Matt!"

Matthew leaned against the two, taking a moment to become accustomed to the world of complex shapes and shades for the second time that day. He managed to stand on his own but his legs were weak. He felt different. He felt...off. "Wha-What happened?

At that, Alfred turned his now angry gaze to Yong Soo. "I haven't a damned clue."

Both Yao and Kiku were trying to get Yong Soo over to the couch but he insisted on sitting on the floor. They reluctantly set him down and immediately after Kiku left without a word. Yong Soo leaned against the couch with a small sigh of relief. He smiled at Alfred, but it was forced; a very foreign look for the young Korean to take. "I'll make this quick. Every time two people with abilities touch each other for the first time they exchange some of their energy and, well, the energy isn't always good, da~ze." He paused to shallow back something. "Usually that's okay, everyone has a little bit of dark in them. It's what makes the good energy good, but sometimes it becomes black.

"Black can be made by anyone, whether they have abilities or not, da~ze but it's easier for people with abilities to transfer or receive it but other people can…There are several different types of black but we're not sure how they...They're all different but yours was…was sticky…yours was…was..."

Yong Soo paused and shook his head, his focus now gone. Alfred's gaze softened. "Yong Soo? What's wrong?"

For some reason Yong Soo suddenly looked sick. His skin was much paler than it was just minutes ago, he seemed disorientated and a light sweat had begun to form on his brow. Yong Soo looked horrified at the question and he quickly brought his knees to his chest to bury his face in them. "Nooo! Don't look at me, da~ze!"

Alfred glanced towards his brother before his concern shifted to his friend. "What?"

"Matt you feel alright?" Though Matthew showed no signs of weakness Gilbert positioned himself as if expecting the other to fall.

Matthew nodded, his gaze flickering over Yong Soo before he looked to Yao. "I-is this okay? Does…does it have something to do with me?"

Crouching down so he was on the same level as the Korean, Yao tapped on the top of Yong Soo's head to get his attention. He didn't speak until the boy had looked up at him. "Is it him?"

Yong Soo quickly shook his head before he buried his face in his knees again. Yao stood and sighed, though this was one of relief. "Yes and no. Yong Soo's fine he's just…doing something I didn't think he would, aru."

"Well that explains everything." Gilbert remarked sarcastically. "What he did to Matt, was that what I think it was?"

"No Yong Soo didn't steal Matthew's powers or take some of his life span or whatever stupid rumours they have online these days, aru."

"Took my wha…? Wait…" Matthew stopped to organize his thoughts. He was well over his shock but that feeling something was off was still there. Yong Soo he…kissed him and something happened. He felt it. Something…magical. "Did he take something? P-please tell me."

Yao said nothing.

"Just tell them, da~ze!" Yong Soo cried weakly. Yao glanced at him before he nodded.

"Yong Soo took your black, aru. Someone without an ability can still transfer their black to another and we had to make sur—don't." He interrupted himself to hold up a hand and stop Alfred from advancing towards the Korean any further. "Leave him, aru."

"Leave him? Look at him!" Alfred snapped, gesturing to the Korean. "That's not normal!"

Everyone turned their attention to Yong Soo once more. Again, though such a short amount of time had passed he looked much worse. He was shivering intesely, his body randomly twitching and jerking as he moaned into his knees. Kiku, whom none of them had noticed returned, kneeled beside him, lightly dabbing his forehead with a moist cloth. Yao regarded the boy for a moment before he turned back to Alfred like nothing was wrong. "He's_ fine_."

"No he's not!" Alfred attempted to push past Yao but he only managed one step before he found the side of his face pressed against the ground and both hands forced behind his back.

"_Leave him_, aru."

"_Alfred!_"

"_Yao!_ What the_ fuck?_" Gilbert hurried over and pulled Yao off the boy and forced him down on the couch. Though Yao showed no signs of resistance Gilbert still hold him down by his shoulders. "You're seriously making me the calm one here?"

Yong Soo lifted his head just enough to slap a hand over his mouth, his body suddenly launching forwarded as he coughed. He wiped at his face with the back of his free hand when his fit was over. "Finally, da~ze!"

Everyone's attention turned to Yong Soo as he stood, the colour suddenly returned to his face. Kiku helped him to his feet, being the only one in the room to continue to worry about Yong Soo. Everyone else was very distanced by the object the Korean had coughed into his hand.

"Holy fuck!"

"W-what the—?"

"Yong Soo, are you alright?"

Yong Soo looked to Kiku and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine, da~ze, I just..." He covered his mouth with the back of his hand and gagged. "I-I'll be back!" He forced the object into Kiku's hands before he rushed out the room. Kiku looked over to where Yong Soo had run off before he looked down at his clasped hands warily. Gingerly, he opened his hands and allowed the white penny sized ball to idly float an inch above his palms. He was instantly crowded.

"Holy fucking shit what is that?" Gilbert asked calmly and collectedly.

"That came out of Yong Soo?" Alfred commented. "That is weird on so many levels."

Gilbert glanced at him before he shook his head. "No, way too easy."

Alfred glared at him. "Seriously, why are you even here?"

"I could ask you the same question Mr. Antihero."

Gilbert grinned his shit eating grin, making Alfred narrow his eyes. Matthew couldn't take his eyes off the floating white ball.

"I…do not feel I should hold this as I don't have an ability." Kiku handed the ball off to Yao before he carefully drew him hands into his chest and stepped back, as if the ball would suddenly attack him. Yao looked down at it before he moved it closer to Matthew. "This is your black, aru."

That seemed to grab back Alfred and Gilbert as well. Matthew blinked stupidly. "What? B-but this is white and…visible." He paused before he turned to his twin. "Al, you can see this right?"

"Uh, yeah I can see it. Why?"

Matthew looked back at Yao, confused. "Alfred couldn't see the black before why can he see it now?"

"I'm surprised you could see the black in the first place." Yao observed. "Usually only Yong Soo or someone with a strong sixth sense can see it but that's not important right now, aru. This used to be your black but Yong Soo took it out of your body and purified it, aru. This much probably wouldn't have done anything for at least six months but Yong Soo took it out anyway." He paused to ponder but didn't waste more than a few seconds. "Black is inside everybody, aru, there are several different types. Most of them are harmless but some of them can influence people's thoughts and cause people to do things they normally wouldn't." He paused again to take a hard look at the white ball in his hand. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. "Even with this in my hand it's hard to believe it's real, aru."

Gilbert was baffled. "Really? You met a guy who could blow off his fingers and regrow them like some kind of weird alien lizard!"

He opened his eyes and glared at Gilbert "That was different! I could _see_ that, aru! This—!" He drew in a breath to calm himself. "Some types of black can influence peoples thoughts, make them do things they normally wouldn't. Some work instantly while others could take years. It just sounds like an excuse, aru! I can't _see_ the black and this ball could be anything, how do I know it really exists?"

"It _does_ exist." Matthew reassured. "I…I saw it and I-I _felt_ it. It was inside me it was right—" Though Yao had already told him that Yong Soo had taken his black it was now that he truly realized it was gone. He couldn't feel it any more. It should have been a happy realization but without it there he felt strangely…empty.

"That's my point. I have to rely on what everyone else sees, aru. It's impossible to observe it myself. The only clue I have is a darkening around the eyes." Yao sighed. "Do you want this back?"

Matthew looked back at the white ball. "W-What? Back? But…"

"It's safe. It may have been tinted but it's still a part of you, aru."

Staring at the floating ball Matthew considered his opinions. A large part of him wanted whatever he was missing back but well...it that a floating ball that was sucked out of him and coughed up by his twins boyfriend who turned out to be one of the most powerful known oracles in the world. He was accepting of a lot of things but this was just fucked up.

"What should I d—" He paused to glance around the room before his gaze rested on Gilbert. "Where's Alfred?"

"He's right—" Gilbert looked to the side to find no one there. "…Huh. Thought I'd hear him tripping over everything on the way out."

Matthew blinked before he looked around again. Where did he go…?

/ / / \ \ \

It wasn't hard to find where the Korean had run off to. All he had to do was follow the lovely sound of retching. Alfred knocked on the bathroom door.

"Ohh not now Aniki! Mattie had the _worst_ kind of black! The stupid sticky kind!"

Alfred quirked an eyebrow. "What kind?"

There was a pause. "Alfred?"

"Yeah, are you okay?"

Silence followed his question, only broken by the sound of more vomiting.

"Agghhhh. I feel like I'm dying~."

Alfred put a hand on the door knob but paused. "You want me to come in the—"

"NO!"

He immediately retracted his hand.

"It sucks but it's n-normal, da~ze. I took Mattie's black so now I have to get it out of me."

Alfred nodded, though he knew the other couldn't see it. Silence engulfed the two again, each not sure what to say. Alfred turned around and sat, pushing his back against the door. After a few more moments of silence he asked, "Why did you do it?"

"…Do what?"

"Do that whole weird." He tried to find the right words. "Kissing, sucking out black thing. Yao said you didn't have to do it but you did it anyway. So why did you do it?"

"I...um…it's kind of hard to explain da~ze but…" He stopped himself to churn up his stomach again. "Argh, geseki… Mattie's black was sticky, if I didn't take it, it would have stayed there. Well, almost all the blacks will stay in you but this one will…it, um." Deep breath. "Mattie can make connections. Whoever he got the black from accidentally put some of their sixth sense into it. When Mattie got the black, he also got the ability. If I didn't take it out he would have had that ability for a really long time, da~ze."

Sixth sense? The whole common seeing creatures thing? Meaning that when Matthew said he was seeing things he was actually _seeing_ things? A light sigh of relief passed his lips. Well, at least he could cross Matthew being potentially crazy off his worry list.

"But more importantly, I did it for you."

Alfred perked up. "Huh?"

"I don't like seeing you sad, da~ze! And you love Mattie so much! So I thought if I made him better you would be better! Did…did it work?"

Alfred's eyes widened and he was almost glad when Yong Soo had to blow his load again. So he decided to go through that whole suck out then pretty much die on the toilet thing so to cheer him up? Did he think he was mad at him or something? He may not have told him he was The Oracle but thinking about it now, he didn't really have any need to know. They may have been together but it wasn't anything serious, right? Plus, he helped Matthew. That had to mean_ something_, right?

Alfred scratched the back of his neck, his cheeks a light pink that, even though the other couldn't see it, he wished wasn't there. "…Thanks, Yong Soo."

Though the young Korean said nothing to acknowledge his thanks Alfred could clearly imagine his pleased grin.

"I'm sure Mattie has questions but I can't move, da~ze. You should bring him here."

"I can't do that."

"But I can't mmoovveeeee~"

"It's not that." Alfred bite the inside of his cheek, not sure how to phase his next words. "If Mattie sees, or hears you like that, even though _you_ chose to do this, Mattie will still think it's his fault."

"…Oh."

A silence settled between them and Alfred glanced back at the door warily. Silence was not something he was used to when around Yong Soo.

Eventually, after another bout of being sick, Yong Soo spoke. "You really are a good brother. Does that…does that make me a bad brother?"

Alfred stared hard at the door that separated them. "What?"

"I…I didn't even think of that, da~ze. I guess it's a good thing being The Oracle makes me travel everywhere. My sister… she's better off." There was a heavy pause before Yong Soo continued, his words shaky. "I-I'm sorry, da~ze. It's the black so-sometimes it just, um…y-you should go, I'll be there soon."

Okay, this was just getting ridiculous. Alfred stood and opened the bathroom door, much to the horror of the Korean hunched over the toilet inside. The first thing he did was cover his eyes and press his forehead against the toilet seat. "_Nooo, da~ze!_ Go away! Don't look at me!"

Alfred kneeled beside Yong Soo and held onto his shoulder. "Yong Soo look, you're not a bad guy you're just really weird but I guess you're super powerful or something so it's justified." He thought that would earn him a laugh but Yong Soo didn't even look at him. Alfred made a face. "I'm trying to be nice here can you at least look at me?"

To that Yong Soo violently shook his head. "No! If you see me you'll freak out and leave! D-Don't look in the toilet either!"

Alfred looked into the toilet bowl and flinched. There weren't any gross half-digested food chunks he had expected to see, instead the water in the bowl was black. When Yong Soo said he had to get it of his system he wasn't lying; he was literally vomiting up darkness.

"Yong Soo, look at me. I won't freak out I swear."

"…Promise?"

Alfred nodded his head, though he realized the other couldn't see it. "I promise."

Hesitantly, very hesitantly, Yong Soo lifted his head from his hands and looked to his boyfriend. Alfred would be lying if he said he didn't recoil.

The whites in his eyes had turned dark gray, seeming to consume his irises. Not the mention his pupils were so constricted they looked like a tiny spots against his brown eyes. Thought the freakiest part were the tears running down his face. They weren't the usual transparency that one would expect, they were black. It was like it was coming out of every orifice.

"I'm sorry, da~ze! I was born to get the black out of me if it gets really bad it will even come out of my ears but, um it only lasts a few hours and then it goes away and, and—!"

"Yong Soo! It's okay." Alfred soothed. He paused before he reached up and wiped the tears from his face. It really was freaky, like something out of Kiku's strange horror movies. "I mean, it goes away eventually, right?"

Yong Soo avoided Alfred's gaze. "Um…yeah." He abruptly turned towards the toilet and heaved up some more black. Alfred rubbed his back as he coughed miserably into the bowl. "M-Mattie 's probably wondering where you are, da~ze. You should go back."

"But what abou—"

"Just…" Yong Soo rubbed his face and groaned, leaning heavily against the seat. "Go. Please."

Alfred tried to look at him but Yong Soo pointingly avoided his gaze. Another forth painful silence went by before Alfred decided to stand. "…I'll be right outside."

Yong Soo said nothing as Alfred stood and left, gently closing the door behind him. Alfred stayed out there for only a couple of moments, until he heard the soft click of the lock behind him. He only spared the door a quick glance before he went back to his brother.

* * *

**Translations: Geseki Korean for Son of a bitch (I not use if I used that right, I think I used the one that is more towards someone then just a passing swear but I dunno, I dunno Korean and how it works. s there another way to say it DEAR GOD!)**

**I wanted to answer more questions about the black in this chapter but I'm trying to aim my chapters between 7-8 pages now so I'll spilt this one in two. It's a good thing I'm introducing something important to the plot so late! -ding!-**

**Thank you **Don'tMessWithAFangirl, FlyingSolo365, Chatlantic, Jasjxoscbsjdc, Axxi, Silvermoon of Forestclan, TheFeyRa, Leite Destiny, Her-Bloody-Majesty, SupaCrazee, GumiGumiSignal, an girl 666, The Hungry Writer, bleach-otaku, xXIceXxShatteredXx, xmitsubachix, Bookboy42, Crazy4animeCouples, RedmapleLeafinFall, MakenshiCrona, Miggery, Mikadocon, Tackytoast, Lupo Artistico, omgpancakes, lightwolfheart, Darkmoonphase, ixamxeverywhere, Haraways, Tweaks, Midnight-Sun104, Neeky-chan, Memento Mori-Pontifex Mortis, Cynical Gummy Bear **and** Just A Girl With A Keyboard** for the reviews!**

**Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! ^^**


	44. Lollygagging

**Hello Hello! Kitty29 here with another chapter of Colours!**

**Ha ha ha, a-whoa, this chapter is long. Why is long chapter so long? I actually had no idea, I started this thing thinking it would barely make my guild line of eight pages and here it stands (sits, lays...floats?) at a proud thirteen pages. A-haha...I can't decide if this is a win or a loss. Hm.**

**Anyways, sorry for the month delay. Although the next chapter of **Just Who Am I? **was suppose to be completed before this one. Though tell that to my muse, who insisted this be done first. Oh well, I don't mind. It's a good thing anyhow, am I right? Of course I am.**

**But enough idle chatter to myself! Let us get on with the story! Right after this message:**

**Thank you **MaryMew** for the wicked beta as always. She's the one with the gooder grammar than me. **

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

"Ah and the prodigal son returns." Gilbert joked as Alfred wandered back into the room.

"Hey," Alfred greeted, choosing to ignore the albino. "What's going on? Did I miss any ethical issues?"

"Well n-no it's just...oh." Matthew stopped himself when he realized the other was joking and he offered a short almost pitiful laugh. "Um, no, just the one." He looked down at the white ball that Yao was still holding out to him. Realizing he was holding it a little close, Matthew took a small step back. "Um, this is the black that Yong Soo pulled out of me and, um...Yao said that if I wanted to I could, uh...take it back..."

Alfred was taken aback by the information. He quickly turned to Yao. "'Take it back?' But Yong Soo just took it out why would Matt want it back?"

Yao sighed, hating to explain things twice. "Yong Soo took it and cleansed it of the black, aru. It's still a part of Matthew, if he doesn't want it he doesn't have to take it."

"Wait wait, hold up. What will happen if Matt doesn't take it?"

Yao made a face as if thinking back. "Feelings of emptiness, brief depression, loss of appetite—though that will happen regardless, aru. And he might not be able to remember things."

"W-_what?_ I'm going to lose my memory?" Matthew exclaimed, suddenly horrified.

Yao quickly shook his head. "No, aru! By not taking this back you'll lose what you felt when you got it in the first place, making it harder for you to remember that certain memory."

The three teens looked at him blankly. Gilbert raised his hand but spoke before anyone could call him on it. "Yao, you know you have to explain shit when even I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

Yao sighed again. "Okay, _okay!_" Deciding that this was almost too much excitement for his old twenty year old body to take, Yao made his way to the couch and sat. He took a few moments to arrange the information in his head before he spoke again; slowly. "Black is created when a person goes through a strong, unpleasant experience. All their extreme negative feelings taint their energy, turning it to black. There is black in everyone, aru. This is normal, our bodies can handle it. It's when people transfer their black into others that it becomes dangerous, apparently. The body doesn't know what to do with it.

"People with abilities transfer energy pretty much every time we come into connect with each other, making us more susceptible to the black but normal people can transfer it too. That's why I..." Yao stopped himself, realizing that was a different matter. "Black apparently taints the energy that we associate with the unpleasant event that created it in the first place. Take that away and all the things you felt from that event will eventually vanish as well. Some people remember their feelings from a memory before they remember the memory itself. So by forgetting those feelings, you might forget about the event."

The room went silent after Yao's explanation, each occupant mulling the information over carefully. Eventually, the quiet was broken by an almost equally quiet,

"But...isn't that a good thing?" Matthew looked to each person in the room, trying to see if any shared his opinion. "I-I mean...I might forget about something terrible that happened to me. Isn't that...good?"

"C'mon Birdie, don't do this to yourself, just take the thing."

"N-no, really! I-I...What's wrong with forgetting a bad memory? Ma-Maybe I..."

"...Do you even know what the memory is?" Alfred questioned, his brow still ceased as he continued to think the issue over. "Sure it created the black or whatever, but would it really be something you want to get rid of?"

Matthew didn't have to think hard to pinpoint the memory he could lose. "I...I think the memory is..." _about Arthur betraying me._ He looked to his twin. "...I'm not sure." He turned his attention back to the floating orb. By not taking it there was the possibly he could forget. Forget about finding out that Arthur had an ability and resuming life the way it was before. Was it wishful thinking? Alfred refused to believe him and he must have hurt Arthur by yelling at him like that. Maybe this wasn't about him. Maybe, maybe he should forget for the sake of normalcy.

He turned to Gilbert, his last lifeline. "What do you think I should do, Gil?"

Gilbert shrugged and rolled his eyes. "Take it; don't take it, why the fuck should I care?" He then abruptly turned and walked out the room, the sound of the door opening and slamming shut indicating he had also left the house.

The twins looked to each other as Yao sighed yet again. "Is he still not over it, aru...?"

"...Pst, drama queen." Alfred crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "What was that about?"

What was that about, indeed? "_Gil!_" Matthew called before he went after him. He exited the house to find Gilbert fuming on the front lawn. He approached him cautiously. "Gil...? Are you okay?"

Gilbert quickly turned back to face him, obviously upset. He pointed at him accusingly. "You're a lot of things but I didn't think _selfish_ was one of them!"

Matthew was caught off guard, not having expecting that at all. "Wha-what?"

"You heard me! _Selfish!_ Why the fuck else would you seriously consider forgetting shit?"

Matthew immediately tried to calm him down, not sure why he was so angry in the first place. "Yes I'm considering it but I'll may still remember even if I don't take it but...I'll forget what I felt and it...it could be better for everyone if I forg—"

"DON'T SAY THAT!" Gilbert suddenly yelled, storming up to Matthew until he was right in his face. "'It'll be better for everyone, _it'll be better for everyone!'_ Sure, why the _fuck _not! But what happens when you make the exact same fucking mistake a month later just because you didn't remember making it in the first place? Will it be for others then, _huh?_"

"_Well what if it wasn't my fault?_" Matthew found himself shouting back, suddenly upset himself. "I did nothing wrong! How is it_ my_ fault that my father's an asshole!"

"So what?"

"_So wha_—I can't even call him dad, that's so what! _How pathetic is that!_" Matthew forced himself to stop, his throat tight. Gilbert may have been his boyfriend but he wasn't ready to talk about his situation with Arthur. Not yet. "This isn't about me, is it?"

Now it was Gilbert's turn to shut up. He turned and sulked off towards the driveway, where his poor excuse of a vehicle sat waiting for him. He unlocked the driver's side, getting in and closing the door behind him with a little too much force. He didn't start the car; he just sat there staring hard at nothing as his hands wrung the steering wheel. Matthew observed him, silently noting just how much this little issue had upset the other. Swallowing back his self-pity he walked over to the car and stood outside the passenger's side, gently knocking on the window to notify Gilbert of his presence. It took several long moments before Gilbert reached over and unlocked the door, not even looking at the blond as he resumed his former position. Matthew accepted his invitation and wordlessly entered the car, careful in closing the door just in case it fell off on him. He glanced at the ever silent Gilbert, nervously twiddling his thumbs. He didn't know what to say. It was usually Gilbert who was cheering him on or telling him some amusing story about something or other. This silence was almost disturbing. Still he endured it, silently hoping that he was just waiting for Gilbert to collect his thoughts. It nearly startled him when Gilbert spoke.

"Did you remember that time I was supposed to take you to the park but didn't?"

Matthew remembered. That was the day he learned of the not so great side of Gilbert's ability; that he would forget who he was every six months. People's abilities were always more than they appeared, he knew that before but it wasn't until that day he realized that wasn't always a good thing. Though he rather it didn't, thinking back on that day always unnerved him. "Yes. I remember."

"...I don't remember any of it."

Matthew looked to him, confused.

"I know it happened 'cause Westen told me, but anything that happened between us, I have no clue..." Gilbert brought his forehead to the steering wheel and sighed, his body slumping as he exhaled. "None..."

Matthew made to put a comforting hand on his shoulder but hesitated, unsure. "...Is it because of the...bi-annual thing?"

There was a beat of silence. "There's...another part of my ability, a thing I can only remember how to use when I can't remember who I am." A humourless chuckle passed his lips as he awkwardly shook his head. "Every six months I can...force myself to forget shit."

Matthew's eyes widened in surprise. Force himself to forget...? It...probably would be the simplest way to re-remember who he was but still, he would forget? Just like that? "You...force yourself to forget?"

Gilbert nodded as much as he could with his head against the steering wheel. "Yeah. I just forget. All the memories I don't think are important gone. Forever." He sighed again before pulling his face away from the steering wheel, though he still looked ahead as he spoke. "But sometimes it fucking sucks to forget the little things. I couldn't tell you Antonio's birthday if you paid me and apparently he's told me a million times. Plus, apparently, I've nearly killed Lovino twice! But how the fuck should I remember?" He felt Matthews hand on his shoulder and he stopped to grip his hands tighter around the steering wheel.

"I...I'm sorry."

"...For what? You inject me with chemicals to give me this marvelous gift at birth?"

"N-no not that, it's just..." Matthew paused and withdrew his hand with a small sigh. "You...you have all that on your mind and here I am..._brooding_ about one little thing." He bit his bottom lip, resuming in the nervous twiddling of his thumbs. "I guess...even if it's a bad memory—even if it's a terrible memory...it's still _my_ memory."

Gilbert slowly nodded, agreeing. "Yeah. You gotta take what you can from those memories to make up the most awesome you can be. See, I don't have to worry about it that much 'cause I'm already the most awesome person on earth." His lips tugged upward when that had elicited a small laugh from the other. "But I'll take my ability over Bell's or Rodcho's any day. I'd rather forget shit than file straining orders or have tinnitus for nearly fifteen years.""Tinnitus?""Yeah, it's like a constant ringing in the ears or something. Roderich's doctors said he had tinnitus when really he just didn't know he had an ability. His ability has something to do with sound and ears or something but I can't remember. Huh, guess I didn't think it was important enough to remember." He shook his head, pulling himself out of self pity before he was drawn in. "You know you're the first person I told this to outside family. Well, Feliciano and Yao know to a point but that was West, not me."

It was now that Gilbert looked over at his passenger. Their eyes met and suddenly the two found themselves trapped in each other's gaze. Not one to ignore his random urges, Gilbert leaned over and placed his lips on Matthews; taking a hand off the steering wheel to cup Matthews's cheek when he kissed back. The kisses were soft and sweet, and Matthew was surprised by how gentle Gilbert was being. He slowly leaned into it, wanting more. He was just thinking of adding tongue when Gilbert pulled away.

"We should get back before Yao thinks we got murdered or something." And before Matthew could say anything, Gilbert had left the car. Matthew only allowed himself a moment's pause before he climbed out the car as well and followed him back inside.

Gilbert glanced over at Matthew to find him staring. "What?"

Matthew looked away blushing. "Nothing."

Gilbert raised a questioning eyebrow but didn't address it.

They entered the family room again to find Yao lounging on the couch alone. Seeing the two approach he stood. "Aiyeh, it's about time. Really, I only said there was a _chance _you could forget. You all got so worked up..."

Ignoring that, Matthew glanced around the room. "Where's Alfred?"

"He had to make a call, aru. He'll be back soon."

As if he was standing by to wait for his cue, Alfred walked back into the room. "Cool, you're back with the princess."

Gilbert scoffed. "Fuck you."

"Not for a million bucks." Alfred retorted before he focused his attention on Matthew. "Okay so, what are you gonna do with that ball, Mattie?"

"I..." Matthew looked at the floating orb and swallowed thickly, strengthening his resolve. "I'm going to take it back, even if it means I'll remember it forever."

Yao nodded, uninterested. "Okay. Just touch it and it will absorb back into your body."

Matthew nodded, sparing a quick glance back to his boyfriend, who smiled in silent encouragement. He reached for the orb.

"Wait wait, hold up a sec."

Everyone turned their attention to Alfred. He looked like something was bothering him. "If Matt doesn't take that...thing back, what would you do with it?"

Yao took a moment to think it over. "Study it, aru? If Matthew doesn't take it it will disappear within the day or so. Or Yong Soo might want it."

Matthew tilted his head in puzzlement. "Want it...? But why would Yong Soo want my..." feelings? Memory? What exactly was this again? "...thing?"

Yao shrugged. "I don't know, aru."

Matthew touched the orb without hesitation, the thought of another just randomly holding onto a part of him unnerving him greatly. As soon as his skin made contact the ball absorbed into his hand and disappeared, leaving no trace of its existence. Both Alfred and Gilbert were disappointed.

"That it?" Gilbert voiced. "I was expecting a bit of a light show or something."

Yao flicked his fingers outward, short bursts of neon lights exploding from the tips. "That's the most you get."

Gilbert shrugged. "Eh, fine. Good enough."

Alfred looked to his twin, who was staring at his hand rather intently. "Feel any different?"

Matthew blinked at him, seeming to have forgotten his presence. "What? Oh, yes. Kind of." He smiled, allowing his hand to return to his side. "A little better. Is-is Yong Soo around? I've like to thank him."

"He's probably just resting, aru." Yao quickly cut in. "If you have any other questions on the black you should ask him but he'll need a couple hours."

Matthew nodded in understanding. "Yes, okay. Thank you Yao."

Yao nodded, his mind already wondering elsewhere.

"Yes, _thank you_ Yao!" Gilbert suddenly chimed in. "Our great and glorious leader Yao! Oh what would we _ever_ do without you?"

"I'm leaving now." Yao turned to do just that, making the mischievous smirk on Gilbert's face grow.

"Now that all that's over," Alfred muttered to himself. "Mattie, can you do me a favour?"

"A favour?" Matthew repeated, curious.

"Yeah, I forgot my phone back at my work. Think you can swing by and grab it for me?"

Forgot his phone at—oh dang. It wasn't Alfred who forgot his phone at the coffee house, it was Matthew. He just kind of...threw it and ran. Oops.

"Uh-huh, and why can't _you _do it?"

Alfred narrowed his eyes at the albino. "Don't see why the hell it's your business but I got to run some errands." He returned his focus to his brother, trying to forget that the older boy was there. "Yeah, I have to go do some stuff now. I'll tell you about it later but while I'm gone can you get my phone?"

"Okay but if you're leaving take my phone." Matthew reached into his pocket and handed over his cell. "You can look through my stuff but please don't delete anything. Please."

Alfred rolled his eyes as he pocketed the device. "Yeah, yeah I already apologized for that! Even heroes make mistakes. How was I supposed to know formatting would delete everything?"

"The instruction manual."

"Who reads the instruction manuals of phones?"

"I do."

The two impatient teenage boys simply stared at Matthew's serious face. "...I might take a while so if I don't call just come back here. I'm sure Kiku won't mind, right Kiku?"

Kiku, who was conveniently passing by the room, froze and looked at his American friend. "Well-well I...no I do not mind but—"

As soon as he got his answer Alfred called, "Thanks Kiku! You're wicked cool!"

Kiku's cheeks turned a light pink at the compliment. "Th-Thank you Alfred-kun." He said before he continued on.

Alfred smiled at his friend before his attention turned to a nearby clock. "Yikes! I gotta go! You, freak, don't touch my brother and Matt I'll call you in an hour, maybe. Bye!" Alfred then ran off, leaving Matthew and Gilbert alone.

Gilbert laughed. "His phones probably been stolen by now you know."

Matthew glared at him. "That not fu—"

"Oh, before I forget."

The two jumped at the sudden reappearance of Yao, who somehow managed to appear right under their noses.

"_Jesus_ Yao!" Gilbert exclaimed. "What the hell was that? Warn us next time!"

Yao smiled, allowing himself a moment to be pleased with himself. He then turned to Matthew, his expression neutral. "There some side effects from the cleansing that you should watch for, aru."

"Okay. I think you said something about loss of appetite before?" 'Cause he wasn't skinny enough. Sigh.

Yao nodded. "Yes, loss of appetite is one. Also you might have random bouts of doziness, mild mood swings—"

Gilbert interrupted him. "Like PMS mood swings or—"

"PMS mood swings, aru."

Gilbert groaned melodramatically. "God, what's the point of having a boyfriend anymore?"

Matthew pouted at him, not finding the joke funny at all. Gilbert shrugged sheepishly as if to say 'I tried'.

"You may feel a little nauseous and..." Yao made a face, really not wanting to say it. "You may fall in love with Yong Soo."

There was a very pregnant pause.

"...I might do what now?" Matthew asked, tone incredulous.

"Doctor, sorry to break it to you, but that side effect makes no sense." Gilbert added, bemused.

Yao raised his hands in front of him as if to remind the two he was a neutral third party. "Some people who got the black taken out of them through the mouth convince themselves that something 'magical' happened between them and Yong Soo, aru. Not all of them do, but some delude themselves into infatuation." Yao released a rather heavy sigh, clearly not having very good experiences with those individuals. "If you start having any thoughts about Yong Soo like...that, just stop. You don't."

"Man and your _brothers_ dating him." Gilbert observed. "Awkwaarrrdddd~"

"Urgh, please don't." Matthew placed a hand over his face to try and hide his flush of embarrassment. "I feel like I should have known this _before_ Yong Soo made out with me."

"I'm very jealous that that happened by the way." Gilbert noted, amusement dripping in every word.

"Yeah, I could tell."

"So very very jealous."

"Please stop."

"These side effects should only last for a few days, aru." Yao cut in. "If you have any physical pain like headaches or stomach pains, call me immediately, okay?"

Matthew straightened up and nodded. "Okay. Thank you again Yao."

Yao simply nodded again, not saying another word as he exited the room. Gilbert turned to Matthew with a smirk that was just a little too wide. Matthew frowned. "No."

"Matthew and Yong Soo sitting in a treee~"

"Really? You're going middle school?"

"Don't you be dissin' middle school."

"Oh god..."

"Hey, now you're dissin' middle school _and _you didn't apologize for cheating on me. My feelings are oh so hurt."

"I-I didn't cheat on you!"

"Oh but you did. So now you have to make it up to me."

Matthew squeaked when he felt a hand smack his rear.

"Big time."

Gilbert didn't even give his dear friend time to think before he closed the distance between them. Matthew's eyes widened, his cries of surprise muffled by the others mouth. Wow, this was certainly more...hungry than the last kiss they shared. Maybe Gilbert really _was_ jealous.

Even so, Matthew tried to protest between kisses. "G-Gilbert this isn't—hrgh, even your, ah, house!"

"So?" Grabbing the front of Matthews's shirt he pushed him backwards until his legs hit the couch and he thumbed onto it, Gilbert gleefully falling on top. All that, and the not for a second did Gilbert stop attacking his lips. He didn't know whether to be impressed or disturbed by his skill.

Still, Matthew tried to push him away, this moment being a little too intimate to be having at—not even his friend's—but his _brothers_ best friend's house; where he'll repay their cordial greeting with making out on their couch and making it awkward for everyone. He may not be a gentleman but he still had some class, damn it!

Gilbert, seeing as he wasn't getting anything back from the kiss, broke away from his mouth and moved onto his neck, allowing Matthew to speak again. "G-Gil! Seriously stop! Seriously don't—h-hey, what are you doing? St-stop that tickles! Stop that...that—oh."

Gilbert chuckled when he felt the hands that were previously trying to push him away now lightly gripping at his clothes, holding him in place. Heh, he knew he'd win sooner or later. He always won and now Matthew was all his and he was free to do whatever he wanted.

"N-no wait Gil I-I, I don't want this, ahh...no—kiss me."

But he was done with kissing, he had moved on. He was at the neck now and Matthew squirming under his nibbles and bites told him to stay. Hell if anything he'll start going south not north.

"Ah, mm—o-oh no...Please kiss me, Gil...bert"

But he...didn't want that...

"Gil, p-please kiss me."

Gilbert pulled himself away to loom over Matthew and give him a disapproving stare though Matthew paid it no mind as he stared right back. He looked rather disheveled, but Matthew didn't care about his lopsided glasses or sprawled out hair. He just looked at Gilbert, the slight haze over his violet eyes showing just how much he enjoyed the Prussians attention. He tried asking one last time.

"...Kiss me..."

Gilbert finally gave in. Swooping down he captured his mouth and Matthew welcomed it with enthusiasm. He grabbed onto each side of Gilbert's head, not allowing him to break apart until they both needed air, only to force them back together when he thought they had enough. Eventually it was Gilbert who had to push the other away. "Whoa, whoa, easy there Birdie. Go anymore hardcore and I'll start reliving some memories."

Matthew tensed, much to Gilbert's chagrin. "O-oh right. I'm sorry." He fixed his glasses before he slid his hands off Gilberts face and rested them on his clothed shoulders, just to be safe. "Is that okay?"

Gilbert nodded, looking elsewhere. There was an uncomfortable silence, broken only when Matthew felt the need to say, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Gilbert, arms getting tired from holding himself over the other, settled himself down so he was comfortably lying on top of the blond. "'Specially after that. You know, for a newcomer to this while making out thing you aren't half bad."

To that, Matthew was oddly silent. "W-well..."

Gilbert was honestly surprised. "Ohoho, Mattie! Frisky before fifteen! So who was it? Anyone I know?"

"I don't think so. It was when I lived in America. I dated him for about four months."

"Him, huh? So you always knew you liked sucking dick?"

Matthew grew red. "N-no! Well, yes I always knew I was g-gay if that what you're asking, but I've never...! I mean..."

A large grin spread across Gilbert's face. "So you're an oral virgin, huh? I'll be sure to remember that."

Matthew suddenly moved back so he could prop himself on his elbows, much to the annoyance of Gilbert, who had to push himself up or fall into the crack between Matthew and the back of the couch. He looked at Matthew to find his face bright red. "I've never gone all the way either! I'm not that much of a—th-that doesn't—w-what I mean is...is...uh...!"

He was silenced by sharp laughter. Gilbert's grin grew to almost impossible proportions. "I get it! So you've never hit a homerun either. I'll remember that too."

Matthew just reminded quiet, telling himself that the best way to not make a fool of himself was not to talk. But he still needed to make an escape plan. Damn it. "I-I really should go get Al's phone..." Somehow, he managed to wiggle his way out from under Gilbert and stood, smoothing out his clothes and hair.

Gilbert got up as well, figuring this was as good a time as any to head out. "'Kay, just give me a sec to—"

"Ac-actually I think I'll walk." Matthew stated, smiling sheepishly. "It's really nice outside, you know."

Gilbert paused and turned to him, momentary confused. "...You sure you don't want a drive?"

"Yes."

"'Cause it's kind of far."

"That's okay."

There was a stare down that lasted exactly five seconds.

Gilbert shrugged. "Alright. Call if you need me, I'll be at home doing everything but homework."

Matthew laughed, even though it wasn't funny. "Okay. Oh and, Gil? Thanks for...moral support."

"...Yeah, well, apparently that's all my awesome is good for to Yao."

"No, really I—" Matthew began wringing the bottom of his shirt. "I'm really glad you were here. I...thank you."

Gilbert blinked and to his surprise he felt his face heat up. Jesus Christ was he blushing? "Yep. You're really lucky to have the awesome me as a boyfriend. Seriously if I got anymore awesome I would just date myself."

"Really? Then...I guess I'll just have to take some of it for myself."

Gilbert was shocked. "What did you say?"

Matthew simply laughed again before he jogged out of the room, throwing a quick 'bye Gil!' over his shoulder before he left for good.

The albino simply stood there for a few moments before his grin returned to his face. Matthew Bonnefoy-Kirkland. The kid surprised him that was for sure. True he always had a thing for the blond but at first he would have been satisfied with a few make out session—or even a blowjob if he was really lucky but now he actually wanted more; but wasn't that a bad thing? Probably, but right now he didn't really give a fuck. It felt good and it would be way out of his character to reject things that felt good. Matthew was his and he was Matthews and that was just awesome with him. Hell if he was lucky this thing might even last more than a month. Unless...

The smile slipped from his face as he walked out the room and took a moment to look to the second floor of the house; where he was sure Yong Soo, now The Oracle, was resting. As ridiculous as it was, he was reminded of the most particular side effect of Matthew's cleansing.

He scoffed, feeling ridiculous for even thinking it. Of course Matthew wasn't going to fall in love with his twin's boyfriend, that's just fucking weird!

...Right?

"...Fucking Oracle."

/ / / \ \ \

It really was a nice day outside; a little chilly to be wearing a t-shirt, true but he could tough it out. He was happy, or maybe that was too strong of a word. He was oddly content, though there was a little more to it as well...

He wasn't angsting over his numerous bad situations. That was a good thing, right?

Matthew found himself smiling, finding the rhythm of walking smoothing. Maybe this was part of the mild mood swings that Yao had warned him about. Maybe halfway through the walk he would start randomly yelling at old ladies, but he'll cross that bridge when he gets there. For now, just for the next half hour or so, he wouldn't worry about the future.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his mp3, glad he had saved up for it after his phone. 'Why get an mp3 when you can play music on your phone?' Alfred had stated viciously as if his statement was bullet proof; but look at him now. He could listen to music even without his phone. Take that Alf—

!... ...

His music player dropped onto the sidewalk below but that was the least of his worries. His body was frozen. He was telling it too but, but...he couldn't move!

Was...was this a side effect from the cleansing thing? W-w-what was he going to do? Even if he had his phone he couldn't move his _arms_! Fuck! _Why did he have to walk?_

His hand suddenly lunched forward without permission, scratching the concrete three feet from his mp3. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted another hand gather his fallen device and a moment later he fell forward as if broken from a spell. Realizing he had control over himself again he quickly straightened up and looked to the one that had picked up his device.

"Liz?"

There stood Elizabeta staring him down with the most discontent look he had ever seen; random bouts of colour bursting forth in quick dizzying displays. She said nothing, her frown darkening rapidly as she insisted on glowering at the younger teen. Then she sharply locked her head forward and continued walking, Matthew soon following in her exact footsteps by forces not his own.

"L-_Liz_! W-what...are yo—you _doing?_" Matthew was relieved to find that if he focused he could still use his vocal cords, or at least as relieved as one could get after realizing a mutual acquaintance had taken over his body.

Elizabeta remained silent and Matthew no longer had the ability to turn his head to gauge her expression. Should he start to panic? Should he have been panicking already?

Matthew snapped out of his thoughts when Elizabeta had begun to mumble. Quiet and incoherent at first but then she said something that made Matthew's mind go blank.

"I'm sorry. I have to do this."

They continued to walk.

* * *

**For some reason this chapter seems very...superhero moral to me; like I'm putting subsumable messages into it so that my readers will learn to be better people. Meh, I always liked superhero cartoons, though just so I don't feel like some kind of fanfiction supervillain I'll just out and say it: be better people, kiddies! Remember to eat your veggies and wear fresh panties everyday! –smile, ding- **

**Mm, sometimes when I write Yao I feel as if I should have studied his Hetalia character more before I settled with the personality he has in this story. He's a lot more...excitable in the anime than I remember him to be. Then again...the same thing can be said about every character in that series. _Especially_ Greece. Guy can't shut up for five seconds, God.**

**Thank you **Chelseaj500, Tweaks, lightwolfheart, Just A Girl With A Keyboard, Derp, ChibiKillerPanda, Berry Doyle, SupaCrazee, Goldpen, bleach-otaku, Piegirl, NinjaCatKayo, webtail, Axxi, FlyingSolo365, Lalliey, Leite Destiny, fan girl 666, cosplaythief, Tackytoast, MakenshiCrona, SafetyScissors, TheFeyRa, Iceestar, Memento Mori-Pontifex Mortis, chai, Farfetched Fairy, Miggery, APH1168kittens, jennamonster, lissy97, Demyx, SelfcreatedCharacter, MatthewKirklandWilliams, foREVerhauntingme, monkeysandfudge, AnalogDemyx57, TheMostWonderfulTimeOfTheYear, Darkmoonphase, Berri-chi, Silvermoon of Forestclan, RedmapleLeafinFall, AbbyinUnderland, Don'tMessWithAFangirl **and **princessharmony23 **for the reviews! (Sorry if I missed anyone!)**

**Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! ^^**


	45. Questions

**Hello everyone! Kitty29 here with a new chapters of Colours! Woohoo!**

**Oh! **_**Oh! **_**Check me out; this chapter isn't coming a month after the last one! Please, **_**please, **_**stop worshipping me, I assure you I do it because I care—no I love **_**you **_**good sir.  
Anyways, look at that! For once a chapter is about as long as I thought it would be when I started writing it, not three or four pages longer than it should have been! I…I'm so pleased right now and I really shouldn't be. Just…give me a moment… (This heading is weird.)**

**Thank you **MaryMew **for the continually great beta. Guurrrrrlllll you got the beta swag! **

**I'm stopping now, please enjoy!  
**

* * *

Alfred opened the door just enough to step inside, gently closing it behind him. At first he didn't move, just gauged his surroundings. The place was clean, too clean. The windows were open but the curtains were drawn, the intruding breeze shifting the cloth just enough to allow playful rays of light into the house. Alfred made a face. He wasn't sure if he liked the signs but he couldn't convince himself it was really that bad.

Finally stepping inside Alfred took a careful look about the ground floor, leaving no room unchecked. It was all sparkling, organized and yet, no signs of life. He decided to just call for the man. "Dad? _Dad!_"

…No response.

Alfred frowned. His car was here, his keys were here, and his shoes were here, meaning Arthur was here. He had to be. Climbing up the stairs he began his search in the second half of the house. First he went to his parent's room, logical enough place to start, right? He wasn't there. Suppressing a groan he went to check the other rooms, figuring he had gone too far to turn back now. Bathroom, study, other bathroom, closet, Matthew's room, his room—

Matthew's room?

Poking his head through the door yet again Alfred blinked at the figure sprawled out on his brother's bed. "…Dad?"

Arthur's head jerked up as he was called from his thoughts, only needing an extra second before he spotted his adoptive son. "Alfred?" After his mind confirmed that, yes, it really was his son, Arthur get off the bed and stood, fixing his clothes in slight embarrassment.

Alfred walked into room, glad he didn't find his father with booze in hand. "What are you going in Mattie's room?"

"Just…cleaning." Arthur mentioned to the vacuum sitting uselessly to the side.

Alfred hummed in acknowledgement before he made a beeline for the chair at Matthew's desk. "You know Matt actually cleans his room, right?" Sitting down he placed his foot on the edge of the desk and began idly pushing the chair left to right. Neither said anything after that, leaving nothing but the faint moaning of the chair to save them from complete silence. Though Alfred was not one to read the atmosphere he figured if he said nothing he would only allow the semi silence to become uncomfortable. He decided to act. "It's really clean downstairs, dad."

"Yes. It is isn't it?" Arthur agreed nonchalantly.

Silence. Uncomfortable silence. It seemed that Alfred's prodding had only made the two realize that the uncomfortableness was inevitable, so they simply decided to embrace it now and be done with it.

It was a full minute before Arthur had built up enough courage to attempt to break it, or possibly add to it. "Alfred…where's your brother?"

Alfred bit his lip and stilled the chair. "He's…out doing some stuff."

"Ah, yes…I see."

Alfred opened his mouth to speak but couldn't manage any words. He had never had trouble asking his father anything, not until now anyway. He felt rigid and…afraid. He knew he had to ask but he really wasn't as sure of the answer anymore. He focused on Arthur, taking just a moment to steel his resolve. "A bunch of people are saying you have an ability but I…is it true? Dad?"

Arthur looked away from Alfred, his expression suddenly hard. Alfred waited for an answer, growing increasingly nervous as the moments rolled. This should have been a definite answer. Surely his question wasn't difficult. Surely he really didn't…

Then, with the smallest of defeated sighs, Arthur's stiff stance slumped as if the will to uphold it was shattered in one swift move. He looked back to Alfred, seeming shorter than just seconds before. "I have no reason to hide it anymore. I do." He looked away, ashamed before he turned back with a small desperate smile. "I suppose I shouldn't ask but…are you mad?"

Alfred didn't answer him at first. Was he mad? He honestly couldn't tell. He was certainly feeling _something_ that was for damned sure but he honestly had no idea if it was one large unidentifiable feeling or dozens woven together to form a mangled, cumbersome mess. Anger? Maybe it was somewhere deep waiting to strike or maybe it was beaten into submission by pity. Either way he found himself silently wishing Matthew was here to tell him for sure what was what, but he wasn't. He just had to suck it up and deal with it himself. "…no."

Arthur let out a relieved laugh and he released a breath he didn't realize he was holding; his defeated slumped figure straightening into cautiously awkward. Alfred supposed what he said was the right response, but he couldn't bring himself to smile back.

"I can't believe that of everyone, it's you who doesn't make a big deal of this."

"Is that why papa left?"

The smile vanished. The room turned tense. Arthur grew more awkward. Alfred was indifferent.

"…I'm going to be gone for the next few days." Arthur stated, swiping a finger along the nearby windowsill and frowning when it collected dust. "I called that 'Uncle Ox' fellow you talked about. You and Matthew will stay there while I'm gone."

"You don't think we can survive alone?"

"I don't want to leave an empty house to two teenage boys."

"Oh, I get it. Just because we're not adults we're not real people." Alfred suddenly snapped, catching Arthur off guard.

"What? I nev—"

"Whatever." Alfred interrupted, crossing his arms in a rather childish manner. "Just go; I need to pack some of Mattie's stuff."

Arthur glanced towards the door but other than a slight tilt in the right direction, he showed no signs of moving. "Berwald's coming here to—"

"Matt's not coming, dad."

Arthur's brow furrowed. "Alfred…are you sure you're okay wit—"

"_No_ I'm not okay."Alfred abruptly stood and began to pace back and forth. "Everyone keeps piling their shit on me then writing me off when I try to help them! Honestly, why the _hell_ would people tell me this shit if they don't want help? Why do people keep dragging me into their dramas and not tell me what the hell is going on? Mattie's written me off! Yong Soo's written me off! Now you're—" He stopped himself. He simply stood, glowering at the floor as he tried to figure out the nature of the numerous questions running through his head. Now he knew he was angry but was that because of Arthur keeping his ability a secret? Or was he just tired of all the bullshit being thrown at him? Why wasn't he angrier at Arthur for not telling him? Should he be angry about Matthew too? He's the hero! Why couldn't he just save his brother from school bullies and his father from boring nights being his usual uptight tedious English self? When did things get so complicated? Why didn't the people who wanted saving _actually want_ saving? Just what the hell was he supposed to _do?_

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he almost laughed at the familiar awkwardness of it. Arthur wasn't what one would call a great father but he tried. Should his entire view of him really be changed just because of one kept secret? Matthew was really upset about it and he supposed it made sense but wouldn't he…

Wait a second.

Jeez, how could he have missed this? Arthur _did_ have an ability and Matthew _did _make a connection with him, meaning that the foreign black that was in Matthew was Arthur's! Wouldn't that mean Arthur was chalk full of the stuff? But wasn't that…wasn't that…Wasn't that just _awesome?_

What did Yao say? 'Black can cause people to do things that they normally wouldn't' didn't that mean that as soon as he got the black out he would be better? Holy batmans! This would solve everything! Matthew and Francis would forgive him and come back, Arthur would be happier and things would go back to normal. He was a genius!

Spinning around he grabbed the hand that was once on his shoulder and clasped it tightly, looking up at Arthur excitedly. "I know how to fix everything, dad! I know what to do now!" That said he let go and ran out the room.

Naturally Arthur was perplexed. Wow, he had never seen anyone go from almost breakdown to full of energy so fast. Realizing that _something _was happening, he followed the younger boy to his room.

"Hum, Alfred?" Arthur watched the boy sped from one end of the room to another, grabbing this and that and throwing them in the general direction of...somewhere. "Just what are you planning to do?"

Alfred rolled his eyes and sent him a pointed glare. "I can't _tell you!_ If I tell you it'll ruin the surprise!"

"Alfred the last time you said that I wound up meeting with your principal." Arthur retorted, crossing his arms.

"That wasn't my fault! If Martin had stuck with the plan—"

"You knew the poor boy was allergic to peanuts!"

"You don't understand that wasn't—doesn't matter." He stopped his running around to stand in front of his father and try to look serious. "I have a secret plan that will fix everything."

Arthur didn't seem convinced of anything. "I don't like secrets."

Alfred snorted. "Says that guy who had the biggest secret of all."

Arthur was rendered temporary speechless. He was right and it shouldn't have, but it stung. Damn it he didn't like this. He shouldn't have to be put in his place by someone so much younger than him, but perhaps it's what he needed to hear. That or he just wasn't strong enough. Damn it Francis…

Trying to act as if that silence never happened Arthur said, "Fine, do what you can Alfred just…don't put yourself in any danger."

Alfred's mock serious face instantly dissolved into a large grin and he pulled his father into a tight hug. "Thanks dad! This plan is bulletproof! I'm the hero so I know what I'm doing."

He detached himself and continued running about. As he watched Arthur couldn't help the smile on his lips.

/ / / \ \ \

Three right turns, one left turn, two shortcuts and four houses down. That's where she had taken him. It's funny how panic can heighten select senses; normally he would have lost his direction half way through. He was fairly certain the house they were in wasn't hers. The neighbourhood they were in were all new houses, so new that they weren't even done constructing the street yet; and from the lack of cars in the driveways he could only assume no one lived here yet. At least he was pretty sure there weren't a lot of cars. In his current state he couldn't turn his head unless Elizabeta did. He only got a short look at the almost too picturesque main floor before he was forced into the basement. It was there they finally stopped walking. She made him reach into her purse and pull out a pair of handcuffs. He then proceeded to cuff himself to a nearby pole. As soon as the lock was clicked into place Elizabeta fell to the ground in a gasping mess.

Though she had basically kidnapped the poor confused boy, Matthew still felt pity for her. "L-Liz are you alright?"

She jabbed a finger in his direction, silently indicating she needed a moment. He only gave her a few more seconds of his attention before he focused on his own well being. Seeing as he had control of himself again he tried tugging on the handcuffs. Well, they weren't the cheap kind one could get at the dollar store. He tried opening them. Well, they weren't the cheap kind that didn't need a key to get it open. He nearly reached into his pocket before remembering he didn't have his phone. Damn it…the one time he needs it for the reason his parents bought him one in the first place. Great, he was out of ideas.

He took a careful look of his surroundings. The basement was somewhat finished, a random fuzzy rug and bulky couch thrown in the middle of the room in a vain attempt to make it seem more 'homey'. It may have been almost as picturesque as the upstairs if not for the personal touches he could only guess were Elizabeta's. Numerous clothing items hung on the back of the couch, among them many bras' and panties which Matthew tried not to gawk at. The bulky couch was more like a bulky bed in its current state, with a pillow and sprawled out cover aiding its transformation. It wasn't until he saw the discarded for sale sign that he realized Elizabeta was camping out here.

Movement caught his eye and he turned back to Elizabeta to witness her gather just enough strength to hobble over to the couch and flop herself down. She placed her head between her knees, panting lightly as she still tried to catch her breath. Then, leaning back into the couch, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before smoothing out her hair quickly and incautiously. She took several moments to herself before her gaze turned to Matthew and, unfortunately for him, it wasn't pleasant.

It seemed as if she was going to take several more moments to just stare but Matthew's nerves wouldn't last that long. "A-are you living here?"

"…What do you think you're doing?"

Matthew was obviously confused. "I don't…know…?"

Elizabeta stood on slightly shaky legs and began her cautious way towards Matthew. "Don't fuck with me. I thought you were a good kid but I guess even he would recruit kids. Why are you with him?"

"W-with who?"

Elizabeta was now close enough to touch him and she did just so. A swift slap to the face showed she really wasn't playing around. "_Don't play dumb!_ Do you even realize the deep shit you've put yourself in?"

Matthew held onto his stinging cheek and stared wide eyed at the girl. Perhaps he should have been doing this sooner but he was definitely panicking now. "Liz! You-you_ hit_ me!"

Elizabeta raised her hand to strike again making Matthew flinch and coil against the pole he was attached to. She made a disapproving noise in the back of her throat and lowered her hand. "People like you make me sick." She spat at his feet, only leaving Matthew more perplexed.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

"DON'T _PLAY_ WITH ME!" Elizabeta raised her hand once more as if to hit him but jabbed a finger in his face instead. "_Today _you messed me up! _Just. TODAY!"_

"H-_how_? I haven't seen you since we were trying to wake up Feliciano!"

"_Fucker!_ I was th—" She abruptly stopped, sudden confusion adding to the vast emotions on her face. "_What_ did you say?"

"I-I-I h-haven't seen you since-since F-Feliciano…"

She stared at him, studying his face. Eventually she said, "You really have no idea what I talking about, do you?"

Matthew slowly shook his head, completely lost.

Elizabeta turned and balled her hands into her hair, walking in no particular direction. "Shit, shit, shit, _shit!_ You have _no _idea what you did, _shit!_" She stopped and turned her sharp gaze back to Matthew, who simply cringed in response. She turned back and began to mumble to herself, sending Matthew's previously blank mind into a frenzy. He didn't know what he was thinking before to make himself so calm but _Jesus Christ he's just been kidnapped by a crazy person who wasn't making any sense GAH!_

His heart pounding like it was trying to escape his chest Matthew followed its example and began tugging against the cuffs furiously. It hurt, but at least it was the uninjured wrist.

"Stop, STOP!"

He felt a hand on his arm and he recoiled like it had burned him. Matthew started at Elizabeta completely frozen, his eyes wide in fright and heart still hammering against his chest. Elizabeta immediately retracted her hand and took a step back. The vast emotions that had made up the previous expression on her face were all nearly gone, leaving her looking tired. "I'm…sorry, Matthew."

Matthew said nothing so she continued on. "You wouldn't understand the shit storm I dragged you into even if I explained it and I don't have time to do that." Seeing as the blond still didn't relax any she moved backwards until she fell on the couch. "I know what you're thinking and it's true; I am paranoid. Maybe even crazy but if you knew what I knew, you would be to." She stopped and bit her bottom lip hard, her hands back in her hair. "_Shit!_ I can't believe I brought you into this whole mess! You're too young for this! _Shit, shit!"_

Matthew relaxed ever so slightly as he watched his kidnapper punish herself for her crime and to his near horror he found himself curious. What exactly did she think he did? And what did she mean when she said she had 'dragged him into a shit storm?' He wanted to know the answers, but he couldn't bring up the courage to ask. All he could do was wait for her to finish with him and let him go. If she was going to let him go. This wasn't fun.

Deciding she was finished berating herself, Elizabeta let her hands fall to the back of her neck before looking around wildly. She then focused on Matthew yet again, her brows knitted together as if she wasn't sure of her next action. "…Matthew…have you ever heard of…bad energy?"

…'bad energy'? Was she referring to the black? Why was that topic suddenly so popular? Matthew nodded, making Elizabeta light up.

"_Really?_ I heard there's this kind of bad energy that makes the victim go mad. Make them think they need more of the bad energy, have you ever heard of that?"

Matthew shook his head in a negative and Elizabeta deflated. "Oh…well, it doesn't matter. There are just some people in the world that shouldn't be fucked with, and apparently he's one of them…"

Matthew surprised himself when he found he had enough bravery to utter a single word. "Who?"

Her head jerked up at that, as if she had forgotten she was talking to another human being. "…Don't worry about it. It would be better if you forgot this whole thing ever happened; forget about me. As of this moment I don't exist and I doubt you'll ever see me again."

She…didn't exist? Why? Was she leaving? Did she need to go away and start anew? Did she do something…terrible?

"I only ask that you do one thing for me…"

She drew back the thin blanket covering the couch and reached into the cushions. She grabbed what looked like a chain necklace with something attached to it before she stood and made her way over. Matthew flinched when she drew near but simply watched as Elizabeta draped it around his neck, shoving whatever object was attracted to it into his shirt. "Please, take this to Yao and makes sure _only _Yao opens it. _Do not_ try to open it yourself." She then reached into her pocket, receiving the music player that Matthew had dropped. "I believe this is yours." She stated as she slipped the device into his pocket. She reached into her pocket again; though this time she pulled out something that made Matthew's chest burn with hope. A key.

But Elizabeta hesitated, quickly diminishing his new found hope. "…Be careful, Matthew. Be wary of what other people tell you and be _especially_ wary of what you do from here on, because if you knew what you did…If you _knew_—" She took a second to compose herself. "Just…take care of yourself. Don't trust _anyone _who's looking for me and…say goodbye to Gilbert for me…" Without hesitation now, she reached over and unlocked the cuffs, walking away from him as soon as she did.

Matthew quickly took the cuffs off and rubbed his raw wrist, an automatic smile of freedom on his face. He turned to Elizabeta, whose was facing away from him. Would it be right to just go? Sure she kidnapped him, but she apologized and let him go. Should he say something? "…Liz I-I—"

"Go before I change my mind." Came her reply. Her words were strained and shaky, and her shoulders were shaking ever so slightly.

Still Matthew hesitated, unsure. "…Um…thank you…"

"I SAID _GET OUT!_" Matthew immediately ran out, fearing what the girl would do to him if he stayed any longer.

* * *

**I had a fun time writing Elizabeta in this chapter, even if I misspelt her name nearly every time I wrote it and had to go back and rewrite it. That aside it's rare that I get to write a girl in this story and so I really cherish it whenever a female makes an appearance. _Especially_ irrational females! Girlies are just so free with their emotions, they have this art of expressing everything and nothing at the same time, it's truly an art I've yet to tune in on.****  
Also just so no one gets offended, the last time I checked I too, am a definition of a female. So suck on that, haters.**

**Thank you** MaryMew, lightwolfheart, TreesAndCheese, FlyingSolo365, Iceestar, Leite Destiny, foREVerhauntingme, Tweaks, Hetaliafangirl1113, Song Of The Midnight Wolf, DreamcatcherOfStardust, fan girl 666, Don'tMessWithAFangirl, SelfcreatedCharacter, EuterpeMuse, Chelseaj500, bleach-otaku, blank, Limelavender, death2society **and** xxicexxlostsoulyahoo .com ** for the reviews!**

**Those in collage or university I hope you had or are going to have a good reading week and I thank you for reading! Everyone that is, I thank everyone. Thanks for reading.**


	46. Informing

**Hello everyone! Kitty29 here with the next chapter of Colours! Wowza!**

**Before I kick it off a-special thanks to **bleach-otaku **for the 1200****th**** review! BREAK OUT THE PARTY HATS, WOO! The next goal that I probably shouldn't be reaching towards and just be happy with what I got is 1400 reviews! Let's see if we can make it happen people, yeah!**

**Moving on, this chapter wasn't supposed to exist yet, or at else I think it wasn't or something (no one really knows…). I was actually about a quarter through what is now the next chapter before I decided, 'meh. I should write something with Arthur and Francis.' So this was a pretty impulse chapter, even for me. Oh well, the quality's still up, right? (The author tells herself so she won't cry into a bucket of chocolate mint ice cream. No I'm just kidding, it's actually vanilla.)**

**Thank you **MaryMew** for the awesome beta'd-ing. You just knock those grammar and spelling errors **_**right**_** out of the park! Woo-hoo-ha!**

**Right moving on, please enjoy!  
**

* * *

Well, it was official. The search for Francis had reached its twenty four hour mark.

Arthur heaved a heavy sigh as he crossed yet another area off his mental list. He had certainly been wrong to think Francis would be waiting for him at some easily thinkable spot or at least be someplace in their own damn city. They hadn't had that many _big_ fights but when they did Francis would always do this; play this tedious game of hide-and-seek. He was hoping that perhaps this time, just _this_ time, it wouldn't be like this. The circumstances were really different. What had happened again?

Ah yes, he had told his spouse a secret which he had literally kept his whole life and in response Francis went out and slept with his not-even-that-pretty co-worker. Honestly, a woman. He had cheated on him with a woman. Arthur was still trying to decide if that made things better or worse. Not that it mattered tremulously. What's done was done. Francis had committed adultery and they needed to talk about it; or Arthur needed to punch him in the face, he didn't know yet. A whole day had passed and he still didn't know what he was going to do when he found the man. When he found him perhaps then he would know what to do. Either way he had to go and find the frog. Not that he made that easy.

Deciding that moping about wasn't going to get him anywhere Arthur restarted the engine and pulled his car back into the road, heading towards, oh who even knows anymore. No wonder both Matthew and Alfred had the tendency to randomly disappear. The damn trait must be hereditary.

Sighing again he turned on the radio to try to distract himself from his rather sombre thoughts. Let's see…country, uninteresting news, talk show, commercial, pop song, pop song, pop song that sounded the same as the last two. He turned the radio back off, not in the mood to pretend to care about the crap music that was being portrayed as chart toppers nowadays. He waited until he hit a red light before he opened a small compartment beside him and pulled out the CD he only listened to when he was alone. The marker on the disc read '10 ways to improve your way of life' but that couldn't have been further from the truth. Popping the disc in the CD player he sighed contently when the sounds of Ringo Star, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and John Lennon filled his vehicle.

Yes, he was a British man whose guilty pleasure was The Beatles. It was embarrassing enough adhering to the stereotype but no matter how many times he tried to break away he always found himself running back to those honest lyrics and sub-par drumming. Hell at least it was better than that annoying mechanic cat screeching that Alfred insisted on blasting throughout the house. What was it he called it? 'Dubstep?'

He was so into his random musical thoughts he nearly missed the car he had been searching for all this time. Luckily he spotted it just in time to pull into the parking lot it was currently in. Finding a spot he quickly parked and exited his own car and lightly jogged towards the other. Checking out the license plate number he assured that this was Francis' car. Finally he found the bugger.

He wasn't inside the car so instead Arthur looked towards the building the parking lot was for. He was a little taken aback when he realized he was in front of a church. Really? He was well aware of his husband's religious background but the last time he could recall Francis going to church was, well, uh…perhaps a little before they got married, if memory served. Yes, that sounded about right.

Arthur shook his head of the thought before he noticed the steady stream of people walking past him. He followed as they entered the church, suddenly rather uncomfortable in his casual wear amongst all the families dressed in their Sunday best. He briefly wondered if Francis was also dressed up as he looked out for him. He hoped to find him soon; his less than suitable outfit had begun gathering stares.

"Arthur."

His breath hitched in his throat as he heard that oh so familiar voice say his name. For just a moment, time stood frozen. He had finally found him. He still didn't know what he was going to say.

Arthur turned to face the person he was searching for. There Francis stood, looking as clean cut and presentable as he always did. He smiled at him and the anger Arthur thought he had surpassed during his twenty four hour search raised again as he looked upon his husband's face. "About bloody time! Do you have _any_ idea how long I—"

A finger to his lips stopped him mid-sentence. He went cross-eyed to try to see the finger before he stared back at the man said finger belonged to. Normally after such an act Arthur would explode into a screaming mess of insults but today he simply didn't have the energy to do so. Francis retracted his finger before he stated, quite simply, "The service is going to start."

Arthur blinked before he glanced around at the people settling into their seats and looked back to Francis. He studied his face, trying to find something in the Frenchman's expression that said he was kidding in some way. He wasn't. So Arthur simply nodded, allowing Francis to lead him towards one of the long benches. He couldn't help but notice the attention that he and Francis had somehow gained in their brief interaction and he momentarily regretted his decision to stay. Though as soon as the service begun all eyes were up front, allowing Arthur to breathe in relief.

As the priest spoke Arthur couldn't help but glance at Francis every once in a while, trying to find something in his unusually stoic expression. Though he found nothing, his wandering mind wouldn't allow him to pay attention to the elder man in front. So he simply sat there pondering if Francis had somehow anticipated him coming at this time. If he had somehow led him here to listen to whatever this service was about. Though the idea seemed rather ridiculous he couldn't shake it from his mind and the longer it sat there to marinate its probably, as well as his anger, raised.

Who did he think he was? Manipulating him like this whole mess what his fault. He wasn't the one that went behind his back and slept with the wrong gender! He wasn't the one that ran away from his problems like an immature ten year old!

Silently fuming, he bit the inside of his cheek and begun squirming in his seat, suddenly restless. Is this why he brought here? Obviously he couldn't just up and yell at him here and even an angry whisper would be disrespectful and here was the _last_ place he wanted to be disrespectful. Conniving wine drinking _bastard!_

Closing his eyes Arthur took several deep breaths to calm down. As much as he wanted to, he wasn't here to throttle his husband; he was here to set things straight. Though it would really help if he knew just how he was going to settle it. Damn, this was the last time he acted before thinking it through completely. The last thing he wanted on his agenda was acting like a complete ninny. At least now he had some time before he had to confront him. He would think of something.

Abrupt rustling and movement broke him from his thoughts and he looked around to find the many patrons had begun to stand and chatter amongst themselves. A hand on his shoulder brought his attention back to the Frenchman beside him.

"Service is over, Arthur."

Bollocks.

/ / / \ \ \

About twenty minutes later the two found them behind the church and up a small hill. Far enough that the people hanging about just outside the building couldn't hear them but close enough that if anything went down, they could call the authorizes. They had yet to say a word to each other since they had gotten to this location. Francis was turned away pretending to survey the area as Arthur was studying the stitching of his shoes.

It taken them a while to get up here, not that the walk was far but because people were rather determined to talk with Francis. He must have been here more than once before, for many people called him by name. Not that he needed much time to make an impression, Francis was a rather interesting character. Arthur nearly laughed at the thought though thinking about the talk that they now had to have immediately quelled it. He still didn't know what he was going to say and his mind was running a complete blank. He was drowning, and he certainly hoped Francis was the same as well.

He rolled his head back to actually look at his husband. He still had his back turned to him and was still looking about at nothing with his hands casually in his jacket pockets. While it was true the two hadn't been together for a terribly long time, Arthur had been with Francis long enough to know that his hands in his pocket didn't mean he was comfortable. In fact it meant the opposite; he was uncomfortable, no matter how natural he looked in his pose. Seeing this gave he enough courage to call out, "Francis."

The Frenchman turned at his name, the breeze causing his hair to dance across his face and almost automatically he reached up to brush it away. "Arthur."

Arthur bit the inside of his cheek as he crossed his arms. "…We need to talk."

Francis' shoulders sagged and he nodded reluctantly. "…Yes I know."

"Is that all you have to say?" The anger he had managed to suppress during the service had begun to leak out. "I say we have to talk and all you have to say is 'I know?'"

"Please, Arthur. You're probably dreading this as much as I am." That statement gathered Arthur's attention and he looked to him expectantly. Francis sighed. "I…do not know what I can say other than what I've already tried to say. I made a mistake, it didn't mean anything. Honestly, I don't even remember how it happened. It was a stupid silly mista—"

"_'Silly?'_" Arthur repeated incredulously. "_'Silly'_ is dropping a bag of flour not adultery, Francis!

Francis mentally kicked himself for the mistake. "Yes, yes you're right I'm sorry."

"How could you even _associate_ that word with your filthy act?"

"Yes I know I—"

"_Stop that!_ Stop agreeing with everything I say and making me look like the bad guy!"

"Arthur there is no bad or good guy in this situation!"

"I know I did wrong too, okay? I didn't tell you my secret! Do you want to know why I didn't tell you, fine! Because every time I tell someone something bad happens like this whole_ bloody pit_ we're in right now! So yes, I made a stupid _silly_ mistake but at least _mine_ didn't risk knocking up some random! We—" Almost like a switch had been pulled; Arthur suddenly backed off and calmed himself down. With a deep inhale and a long exhale reorganizing his thoughts he finally said what he had came here to say in the first place. "This isn't about us."

Francis agreed, finally thinking they were getting to the heart of the issue. "Yes, this is about_ my_ stupidity—"

"Oh get off your high horse. This isn't about either of us this is—" He took a moment to glower at a nearby tree. "Your children…don't trust me. Especially Matthew since he…since he…" He paused, berating himself for suddenly becoming tongue-tied. "Figured out that I can also…do…things."

Francis' eyes widened in obvious shock. "Mon Dieu…Please Arthur, you were the one that told him this, yes?" Arthur's silence was his answer and he dramatically placed a hand on his chest. "Ah! Oh mon petite soleil! Oh mon Mathieu! Oh…I'm sure you talked to him about this?"

Arthur stiffened. "I hadn't seen him since he's yelled at me through the phone."

"He figured it out _over the phone? Oh my poor Mathieu!_"

With a small start Arthur noticed Francis actually grow pale and he took a few concerned steps forward. "Francis calm down—"

"_Calm down?_ How can I be calm knowing my son has gone through a traumatizing experience by himself? _Why hadn't you done anything yet_?"

Arthur spattered. "_Why haven't I_—at least I'm not out gallivanting!"

"I do not gallivant! I was simply giving you space! Is that not what you wanted?"

Like Arthur could keep track of all the things he said during fights. "Giving _me_ space doesn't mean _abandoning_ your kids!"

Francis groaned. "'Your kids,_ your kids!'_ They are _our_ children, Arthur! _Dieu_ I shouldn't have left such a forgetful emotionally uncaring man watch them!"

"P-_piss off_ you damn French frog!"

"Name calling Arthur? Is that truly the best you can do you _stupid Englishman?_"

"_Wine guzzling unshaven bastard!_"

"_Stone hearted uncivilized delinquent!_"

"_Cowardly nanny!_"

"_Crude cretin!_"

"_Pervert!_"

"_Swine!_"

The married couple glared at each other, each unwilling to be the first to break eye contact. It was several minutes into staring at each other did Francis speak.

"There's a hotel three blocks from here."

"Right."

With that the two ran to the parking lot.

/ / / \ \ \

Heavy pants filled the now off smelling room as its patrons lay recovering from their 'exercise'. The lazy ceiling fan above did nothing to help lower the area's raised temperature, only there to allow its slow movements to be watched by whoever was there at the time. So watch they did, blue and green eyes followed its lazy journey as their minds began to clear through the fog of fading pleasure.

Arthur was the first to react. He moved to sat on the edge of the bed, his elbows resting on his knees as he stared at the peach carpet intently. Francis raised his form onto his forearms and watched his husband's slouched back. Twice he thought of reaching out and touching the man but the message always seemed to die before his muscles could receive it. It was at times like these that he wished he also had a special ability. Perhaps they still needed a mind reader.

Arthur spoke with forced certainty, "That was a mistake."

"Not something I would like to hear my own husband say afterwards."

Arthur did nothing. He didn't snap at him or turn to glare at him or even make any kind of gesture towards him with his hands. He did nothing. This time the message went through and Francis did reach out and touch him though it was promptly smacked away.

"A mistake," Arthur repeated as he began to dress himself again. "Can't believe I fell back into this habit so easily." He stood to properly fix his pants, a few fingers hooking into the back and trying to pull him onto the bed nearly as soon as he did.

"This wasn't some kind of cheap trick to bed you."

He pushed Francis' hand away and finally turned to gauge him. "I didn't say that." He turned his gaze back ahead and started to walk to where he had hastily thrown his shirt.

Francis jumped out of bed and rushed to him, throwing his arms around him to stop him from moving. "Arthur, please! Talk to me! You said we had to talk, yes? So talk _please!_ Tell me what's on that twisted mind of yours!"

Arthur didn't speak until he had freed himself from the other's grasp and could turn around to properly glare at him. "_Fine!_ You want to know what I'm thinking? All I could wonder during was whether my body was _feminine_ enough for you!" Francis opened his mouth to defend himself but Arthur cut him off. "And don't you _dare_ go about spewing some bullshit that 'I'm the only one for you' or 'I'm the only body you need' because your actions clearly proved that isn't true!"

"Arthur the only thing we need is each oth—"

"_SHUT UP!_" Arthur bellowed, pushing the man away from him. "_You_ don't tell me what _I_ need! Bloody hell, Francis! I may not have been the best husband but I _never broke our vows!_" He grabbed his discarded shirt and turned away to angrily rub the corner of his eye.

Francis placed a hand over where Arthur had shoved him before he bit his tongue. He knew at this point he could say nothing to help his situation. "That is it?"

There was a small pause before Arthur turned to glare at Francis once more, though he didn't manage to get all the water out of his eyes before he did so. "You know what, Francis? I came here to tell you what's happening with Alfred and Matthew; and now you know. So what you do with that bleeding information is up to you. I don't care anymore." He walked out the room and slammed the door shut.

* * *

**Ahhh…for some reason the thought of a grown man yelling 'I do no gallivant!' makes me giggle on the inside. And some times on the outside too. .-.**

**This chapter was a little weird because this was one of the first ones where I really didn't know where it was going as I wrote it. Usually I have a rough mental timeline or random events or a couple thought out sentences that I build around but for this one I barely even knew what the next sentence would be as I wrote. It was kind of excited if not vexing at times. I don't really think I learned anything from it, except from the fact that I am far more comfortable writing Arthur than Francis. That may or may not explain why it was from his POV, hahaha…ha.**

**Thank you **Goldpen, KiaraNox, MoonlightMew513, Silvermoon of Forestclan, bleach-otaku, Just A Girl With A Keyboard, lightwolfheart, monkeysandfudge, princessharmony23, Tweaks, black-misty-sky, Hetaliafangirl1113, Rick Allan Doyle, cosplaythief, foREVerhauntingme, fan girl 666, Chatlantic, Chelseaj500, death2society, Berri-chi, Darkmoonphase, PokePyro, CiCi The Awesome, Panda Days, Minato's Moustache, Odisdera-kun, TinaBanina96 **and **Mikadocon **for the reviews!**

**I a-thank you for reading and if you're feeling up to it please tap on that little button below and leave a few words! Hope to see y'all soon!**


	47. Notes

**Hey Guyz! Kitty29 here with the next chapter of Colours!**

**Sorry for the wait everyone! I had a bit of trouble with the order of events for the next few chapters but after writing a somewhat detailed timeline between the hours of 3 and 4 in the morning (for some reason it's just when I'm about to pass out when I gain my inspiration) so I think I'm good. Though that wasn't before I finished writing the entire 48th chapter, so expect that up in about a week or so. Yep.**

**In other news, today is my birthday! I am officially 20! Old enough to impose my vast knowledge to teens but young enough that adults can blame my personality on my age _ha! _Still not old enough to drink in the US yet though. Darn it, soon US of A. Soon.**

**Interesting fact, two years ago today I posted chapter 3 of this story meaning that this story is over _two years old!_ Holy Buesus! Time sure flies, amirite? Thanks for the people who's been following for all these years and welcome all new comers! You be joining a program two years in the making. I hope y'all be enjoying it.**

**Thank you **MaryMew **for the great and quick beta as per usual. She even made sure to get it back to me before my birthday! **_**So frinkin' nice!**_

**Enough of my ramblings, ONWARD!  
**

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Yao stood in the exact centre of his work station, looking around him carefully. On the wall in front of him were multiple pieces of blank paper as well as relevant notes. To his left, his computer was on with internet open so anyone could contact him at anytime. To his right, a small television set on the local news channel, quiet enough to not disturb his thoughts but loud enough for him to hear. Behind him, a large and detailed map of the GTA, pins marring its surface when necessary. In the corner: snacks, just in case. He looked around once more before he noted his surroundings were good enough to keep his attention on the task at hand for at least the next few hours. He rolled up his sleeves and flicked his fingers, idly acknowledging the bright lights that flickered to life before quickly dissipating. Alright, it was time to find out if there really was a killer on the loose.

He had just barely gotten into the proper mindset when a vibration on his leg wrenched him out of it. Frowning, he reached into his pocket and received his cell phone, muttering a few choice words when he saw it was Yong Soo attempting to reach him again. This was the fourth time he had called after Yao had specially told him _not_ to call unless it was urgent and from the way the boy was rumbling the first time he had picked up he knew that whatever he wanted was _not_ urgent. He tossed the phone towards the desk, not even caring if it hit its mark or not as he focused back to the blank papers in front of him. Alright, let's try this again.

He closed the space between him and the wall and pressed his right index finger against the paper. It was then his computer loudly beckoned him. Yao turned to it, starting to get annoyed from all these ill timed distractions. His finger slid down the paper before it slapped back to his side, unintentionally leaving behind a thin trail of neon red. He turned and walked towards the device, wondering why it had insisted on bothering him.

_Hey Yao. Just came back from visiting the family in Cuba and I've been hearing about some crazy shit that happened when I was away. Something about someone being in a coma and spotting a kid that had connections? Is that Gilbert kid pulling my leg or have I really missed that much?_ Estefan. Ah, right. He forgot that he hadn't been in the country for a while. He wrote a reply, hoping the other didn't want him to indulge in details.

_No he's not. There will be a meeting on Friday, I'll explain more there._

_There is?_

Yao paused. He had told everyone that there would be a meeting a little over a week ago, didn't he? Or was he distracted by something? He sighed in exasperation before he started typing up a small memo about the meeting to stop trying to pinpoint what exactly had made him forget to do so before. He had a disturbing inkling that it had something to do with Yong Soo. Pushing the thought aside he read over his short note. The meeting was on Friday at this time and place, coming was mandatory, he wished to warn them against a possible threat. Satisfied that it held all the information he wanted to convey at the time he sent it out to everyone who attended the group that he watched over as well as the people who insisted in having their weekly get-togethers in that old creepy warehouse.

Satisfied now he was sure he had informed everyone he turned his attention back to the blank paper. Well, previously blank paper as it now had a long streak of colour along its side. He paid it no mind as he walked up to it and pressed his index finger against it once more.

'Five suicides only two within a week period. First suicide close friends and family couldn't understand why he would take his own life, others friends and families admitted that the victims showed signs of depression. Does the killer work long term?'

He paused to step back and tap a finger against his chin in thought. After brief consideration he continued.

'James Breen, 24, fitness trainer. Was writing a recipe book for smoothies. Brown hair, brown eyes. March 21—bled to death in bathtub. Was listening to numerous rap songs on repeat. Friends say he hated rap. His many CDs opposed the thought.

Mika Hurst, 38, family dentist. Mother of two. Recently remarried. Black hair, blue eyes. April 23—hung self in office. The equipment was on.

Sylvain Furlong, 46, professional cellist. Mother of four, grandmother of five. A bitter woman involved in many questionable activities. Greying hair, brown eyes. May 14—body washed up on shore. Cello missing.

Gayle Wrobel, 19, student, self employed. Enrolled in Theatre, aspiring Broadway star. Dyed blue hair, hazel eyes. June 03—jumped six stories to her death. Recorded self singing two hours beforehand. It was pitchy.

Barnabas Héderváry, 73, retired University Professor. Father of one, grandfather of one. Bald, green eyes. June 09—Heart arrest. Taken to the hospital beforehand for prescription, drug overdose. Elizabeta's grandfather.'

Yao stepped back again and stared hard at the last name written. Out of them all his was the odd one out. He survived the suicide attempt. He survived it and yet was not in his right mind to talk before his unfortunate death. His end was also very rushed compared to the other victims, where as their deaths were roughly a month apart his was within a week of the last. Then, of course, was the biggest difference that separated him from the four before.

He was the only one who had an ability.

It was that fact alone that made him pause. He was under the impression that the killer was specially targeting people with non abilities until he came along. Perhaps he was somehow dangerous to the killer in some way or maybe the killer didn't know he had an ability, or, just maybe, he wasn't supposed to die yet. Did his method fail in some way? Or maybe...this was completely irrelevant and he was just being paranoid with the fact that the last victim was related to one of their own. If he even was a victim. Really, he could have tried to kill himself on his own.

Yao physically slumped as he tried to shake the thoughts from his mind. Doubt didn't help at all. Doubt backtracked or sidetracked. To distract himself Yao sharply turned and faced the map, idly observing the pins he had tacked to it. They all seemed completely random, sure they remained within the GTA but all that meant was the one he was looking for most likely habited Toronto, which counted for nearly half the country's population. Still he stared, thinking that perhaps if he looked at it long enough he would find something.

Idly his eyes moved from pin to pin, mentally connecting the dots before he used his ability to visually connect them before his eyes. Still nothing. He sighed through his nose before he walked over and dislodged the pin that represented Mr. Barnabas Héderváry. He had marked his place of death at the hospital where he truly did take his last breath but perhaps if he moved it to where he had overdosed beforehand—his home—then he would be able to see something. Yao repositioned the pin before he stepped back and looked at the map as a whole once more. Repositioned the pin was a bit closer to the forth victim but at this point and time he had no idea if that should mean anything. Well, that was unless—

A sharp knock promptly hurled him away from his point. He looked over in the general direction of the front door, rather perplexed. He didn't invite anyone over and no one had warned him about their oncoming rude interruption. He crossed his arms in an aggravated huff as he tried to regain his focus but another knock shattered it before it could fully form. Frowning he went to answer it, knowing he wouldn't be able to do anything else as he was being pestered. If that was Yong Soo he was definitely getting a piece of his mind…

He roughly opened the door with the intent of glaring down at the hyperactive Oracle but upon realizing the person was much taller than the Korean he adjusted his eye level accordingly. There was a beat of silence before Yao, though rather confused by his presence, confirmed his identity. "Ivan?"

The Russian grinned gleefully as he waved at the shorter man. "Hello comrade Yao. It is nice outside, da?"

Not sure if he was accusing him of being some kind of hermit crab or not Yao simply moved onto the core issue. "Why are you here, aru?"

At that Ivan gave a rather light hearted shrug which, for whatever reason, seemed out of place on a person of his structure. "I was in the neighbourhood, as they say." At this point he thrust forward a sunflower that Yao didn't notice until now. "For you comrade."

Yao looked between him and the flower two—three times before he settled on Ivan's face. "…Really?" He asked in dry monotone, studying the other for a reaction.

Ivan simply blinked down at the other, his smile not faltering in the slightest. If there was any change he had simply gone from amused to bemused. "Of course! I would not come if I was not sure, hum?"

Yao simply shook his head and sighed heavily, deflating with the exhale. He knew when to give up. Grudgingly he accepted the gift. "…Thanks," He supplied half heartedly though the widening of Ivan's smile said that was all he needed. Sighing again Yao turned around and sauntered towards his kitchen. Once there he grabbed the vase that was shoved in the corner on top of the counters and plucked out the old sunflower. For some strange reason, Ivan always seemed to reappear with a new flower every time the older one would start to wilt. Strange.

When he was finished swapping the flowers and giving the new one some fresh water he made his way back toward the front door to invite the other inside only to find that he had already wandered in. For some reason, every time the Russian entered his abode he would look around amazed as if it was the first time he had forced himself in. It wasn't, and he knew it wouldn't be the last time either.

Seeing as the man was now in his house he decided to take the role of host. "Tea or snacks, aru?"

Ivan stopped looking around and turned to smile at the man. "Ah, no. I was actually thinking you and I go out for subsidence. It is midday, yes?"

Though his tone suggested he barely had a choice in the matter Yao still easily shook his head. "I'm busy right now." His eyes wondered to the door leading to his 'work station' but he quickly snapped them back to the man in front of him. He knew that if he went back through that door now Ivan would only follow and he rather not have someone staring at him as he thought.

Ivan seemed rather disappointed with the news—as he usually did when he came over and half ordered him to do things—but he still dragged on. "Busy with what?"

Yao paused as he recalled his small incident with Matthew's brother and how he had made a mental note to keep his theories to himself until he could gather more definite proof, or in this case for the next few days. Though he knew he had to tell him _something_, just enough to satisfy the question so that he would leave. "I'm preparing for the meeting on Friday."

Ivan was honestly confused. "There is a special meeting this Friday?"

Yao had sent out that message nearly twenty minutes ago. With all the technology the youth of today carried around in their pockets twenty four seven he would have thought nearly everyone had gotten it by now. "Yes. I sent an email to everyone. You should have it by now."

"Ah, okay! I'll be sure to read it when I get home."

Yao simply nodded and looked to the Russian as he waited for him to leave. He made no move to do so. Rather, Ivan seemed perfectly content to stand there and stare at the shorter male with a large child like smile on his face. Yao crossed his arms and frowned. "Wh—"

"How are preparations?" Ivan asked before Yao would even utter out a single syllable.

Yao narrowed his eyes in faint suspicion. "Did you come here for _small talk?_ Because I can't—"

"No small talk—"

"Stop interrupting me! I have a lot to do before the meeting. I don't have time to talk, aru!"

Ivan seemed rather affected by his bluntness but Yao didn't care. It was a wonder as to why he had answered the door in the first place. He had told himself he would work without distractions until he was satisfied and now here he was barely an hour in and he was wasting his time. Any more distractions and he would be making negative progress.

A swift thought took away Ivan's brief disappointment. "Mm, you are not doing so well? That is a shame. Perhaps I can help?"

Yao paused as he thought of any way Ivan could help him. After brief consideration he asked, "Have you seen Elizabeta?" He had been trying to contact her for a while so that she could answer some questions he had about her grandfather. He should have asked her sooner but he had refrained to give the girl time to grieve, and now she was nowhere to be found. He must be getting soft.

"Liz? She has been missing a while…" Ivan's gaze turned skyward and he put a finger on his jaw in a thinking matter. "I looked but I guess she likes hiding."

Of course, it would never be that easy. Yao blew some air out of his nose before he shrugged. "Then you can't help, aru."

Still Ivan dragged on. "I could be a friend to jump your brain off of."

"Jump my brain off—what?"

"You know, when you cannot see all the sides of a thought so you go to someone else for their assistance."

"…You mean 'bounce ideas off of?'"

"Is that not what I said?"

Yao opened his mouth to retort but closed it with a second thought. Hm, it didn't seem as if Ivan planned to leave anytime soon and he knew from experience trying to kick him out would only backfire. As long as he was here he may as well be used for something. Again Yao rolled up his sleeves and showcased his ability with a quick flick of his fingers. "Fine, sit down."

Ivan smiled before he moved deeper into the apartment and sat on the couch, looking as chipper as he had when Yao accepted his flowers. Ignoring that Yao walked over to the small coffee table, pushed a few papers off it and sat so he was directly in front of the other. Alright, maybe Ivan was right, maybe talking would help sort himself out. Even so, he didn't want to clue him in on exactly what he was looking into until the meeting so whatever he had to talk about had to be general. It didn't take him much thought to decide on a topic to speak on. Sighing, he began, "Maybe I'm getting paranoid in my old age."

Ivan laughed. "You're young for an old person."

Yao ignored that. "The meeting is to warn every one of the possible danger but maybe my paranoia's getting the better of me—don't look at me at that." He quickly added when he noticed the faint slip of Ivan's smile. "I know what the younger members say behind my back, aru. Crazy, like they know what crazy is." He snorted before he absentmindedly stood and began to pace. "They don't know about the man who thought he was Jesus in Dallas or the woman that had to be sedated in Liverpool before she could be cleansed. If they knew how dangerous they were then maybe they would take me more seriously."

"Then tell."

Yao stopped his pacing to regard Ivan seriously. "No. There's no reason, aru, I gave up hunting ignorant ability users two years ago. When I told Bella the stories it took her far longer than she said for her to get over the stupid people in the world, she's still nervous around me sometimes. It's a wonder she helps me as much as she does, her ability must make her used to being wary." He would have appreciated her mind on this whole 'killer' issue but because she was a high school teacher and the academic year was nearly over, he knew she would be busy for the next few weeks.

The first sharp notes of his ring tone wafted into the room, closely followed by the violent rumbling of his phones vibrations against solid wood.

"Ignore that, it's Yong Soo." He commanded when he noticed Ivan's gaze drift towards the sound. Yao continued to pace as waited for his phone to quiet. As soon as it did he continued. "No, I can't tell them about the bad ability users out there. The worse thing someone with abilities can do is not use their ability but some of the things I've seen even make me stop sometimes." He raised his hand and allowed his paints to hover in the air around him as he paced. "If I tell the others then who knows what stupid things they would do, especially Gilbert or Michelle or Kaoru or—" He abruptly stopped his pacing, the paints he allowed out of his fingertips panicking and twirling around his hand to make up for blank space they were denied further on. Yao snapped his gaze to Ivan, who merely tilted his head in confusion, before he clutched his hand, instantly making the neon colours around him vanish as if they never existed.

First he moved the coffee table out of the way so that he could stand in front of the Russian without the fear of tripping over the furniture should he take a step back (which he was ashamed to admit he had done a few times before). "Don't be one of them, aru."

Ivan simply smiled innocently in response. "Hm?"

Yao firmly placed his hands on top of Ivan's knees before he leaned forward just close enough that Ivan could see the seriousness reflected in his eyes. "Your ability is one of the biggest I've ever seen and if you're not careful it could consume you. Don't let that happen, you're too soft-hearted to deal with it. Promise me that won't happen."

He hoped for this moment that trademark smile of his would sink and Ivan would allow one of his rare sterner expressions to show through. He just didn't know what to make of it when Ivan's smile grew and he let out a sound that was dangerously sound to a giggle. He felt even further trepidation when Ivan reached up and gently patted his cheeks twice before letting his large hands rest on each side of his face. "Just because it is you: I promise."

Yao wanted to nod but Ivan held his head quite firmly. "Right, good." His previous set state was slowly ebbing into discomfort as the Russian refused to let him go so that he could straighten up. Their faces were but inches apart and though that same position had helped him prove his point before, now it was just unnecessary and kind of embarrassing and Ivan was just staring at him and _smiling_. Though he had tried hard to not let this word cross his mind in relation to whatever Ivan did, even he had to admit that this was creepy.

The phone rung again and for once he was glad for it.

"I-I need to get that. It might be Yong Soo." With effort be pried Ivan's hands off him and briskly made his way towards the device, inwardly releasing breaths of relief. He re-entered his 'work station' and answered his phone. He saved him from that weird situation, he owned him. "You have three minutes. What's do you want?" He just didn't owe him that much.

Immediately, Yong Soo dove into it. "_Aniki! I have to talk to you about something personal._"

Yao didn't bother hiding his groan. "I said not to call unless it was important, aru!"

"_This_ is_ important! At least, it is to me, da~ze…_"

"Why don't you call your parents then?"

"_My parents are on another continent! Aniki~ Yao~ guy who acts as my guardian and signs all my permission slips~! I _need_ to talk to you!_ "

Argh, don't remind him. "_Fine,_ aru. Talk then—hey!" He moved his phone away so he could glare at the Russian who had decided it was perfectly okay to just waltz in. "What are you doing? How rud—"

"_Aniki?_"

Grudgingly Yao put the phone back to his ear. "Yes, sorry, I'm listening, say it!"

"_Okay, okay don't rush me, da~ze! Aniki, I think I…I think I…uhh…I…_"

Annoyed that Yong Soo had decided to become shy the one time he wanted him to speak he snapped, "Say it or I'll hang up!"

"_Oh, you're so mean! If you knew what I was going to say you wouldn't act like that!_"

"Then say it!"

"_I can't! Oh, it's too embarrassing to say over the phone! You have to come over here so I can tell you! Please, please I know you're working but this is super important, da~ze! I'll even help you with whatever you're working on when you're done just please come! In the next hour or so?_"

"That's stup—"

"_Great! Thanks Aniki you're the best! I'll see you soon!_"

Dial tone.

Hanging up the device he slammed it on the desk before he turned to glower at Ivan, channelling his anger towards the one he could see. "You can't just wander around someone's home like you own it!" He stormed over and began pushing Ivan out of the room, not caring that the man was physically larger and heavier than him and if he had it in his mind to stay put there wasn't much that Yao could do about it. Fortunately Ivan allowed himself to be shoved out.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I thought if I knew what you needed help with I could serve you better."

"If I wanted you to know I would have told you!" Yao groaned and rubbed his forehead in an obvious show of annoyance. This had gone on for a little too long. "Go home, Ivan. If you can help I'll—"

"I did not know Mr. Barnabas was a part of Liz's family."

What.

Yao paused and regarded Ivan critically. "…You knew him?"

"Once." Ivan answered with a finger raised. "He was the one who did not enjoy my cello."

"You…still play?"

"When the feeling comes."

Yao's brow furrowed. Cello…Sylvain, victim number three, played the cello professionally… "Why were you playing for Elizabeta's grandfather?"

"Hm? Did you forget? I played to audition."

Yao searched his mind for any news that Ivan had told him about playing his cello. Eventually he shrugged. "Recently?"

Ivan was disappointed with Yao's memory. "Well, I am not old enough for it to a short time so no. It was at the start of the last new year, when I wanted to be part of Sheldon University."

Sheldon University? That was the school that Gayle, victim number four, had attended. "But you don't go there."

"I thought it was obvious I was not successful, da?"

Oh, Yao noted that he had accidentally hit a sore spot. He immediately made to clear it up, actually wanting Ivan to stay. "I don't see why. You're a good player, aru."

The resulting smile on Ivan's face told him his plan had worked. "Thank you, comrade. I thought I was fine as well but he did not like it so I will have to try harder."

"But why was he judging you? He was a professor but he's been retired for years."

To that Ivan shrugged. "I don't know how his mind works but I think Liz said he goes to the school sometimes when he is bored. So maybe he was my guest star? Like on American Idol?" He shook his head with a sigh and Yao noted Ivan's new furlong look with interest. "It is a shame I was the only one not successful."

"Ah? He only said no to you?"

"No, that's just silly. There will always be people worse than me who think they deserve more but that's not important. I was thinking about our friends who won, Liz, Roderich, Vash—I'm not too sure—Feliks, Toris, his older brother Eduard and…Hm." He paused to tilt his head and frown at the random space beside him. "…I feel like there is someone else…" He gave it a few more seconds of thought before he shrugged and smiled down at the Chinaman. "It must not be important. You have to work, hm? I'll go and get you some food so you can focus."

"That's okay, I'm fine." Yao quickly cut in when Ivan took a step towards the front door. "I…have to go talk to Yong Soo now…" He had half a mind to skip the meeting he didn't even agree to go to but he knew that if he didn't he would be subject to Yong Soo's overdramatic whining for the next who knows how long. He didn't have the will power to go through that. "We'll leave together but thank you, aru. You were a great help, surprisingly."

Ivan smiled before he moved out of the other's way and gestured towards the door, politely indicating that he go first. Though Yao hadn't planned to leave right at that moment he complied with a small shrug. He might as well go now and get it over with. Yao took his keys and headed out the door, Ivan closely in tow.

"I'll drive you and then on the way maybe we can get some food."

"I'm not hungry. Why do you always want to eat with me?"

"I like seeing you eat."

"Aiyeh…"

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**In this story I view Yao and Ivan's relationship in such a way that it would make a ChinaxRussia fan sad. I not even a fan of the pairing and yet sometimes it makes _me _sad. Pst, I should stop getting so into fandoms.**

**For those who don't speak Canadian: the GTA stands for the Greater Toronto Area which, as you may have guessed, consists of Toronto and the towns and cities around it. A large percentage of Canada's population live within the GTA (Hellz yeah Ontarioians!).**

**Sheldon University is just some random name, I'm not sure if it's an actual university. I should probably look it up but it's too much of an insignificant detail to be bothered. I guess it can also be viewed as a parody of Sheridan Collage, a very prestigious art school in Canada, but it doesn't really matter.**

**Thank you **foREVerhauntingme, sheroukittty, fan girl 666, Chelseaj500, Mikadocon, death2society, MoonlightMew513, Cisella, Darkmoonphase, TinaBanina96, Berry Doyle, mIsS-vIcToRy96, Odisdera-kun, Ashe-Kuro, black-misty-sky, Just A Girl With A Keyboard, Tweaks, Hetaliafangirl1113, The Hungry Writer, Say It Say My Name, Leafy Savanna Chan, Dominion123, Melody Syper Carston, Ayla The Librarian(welcome back!) **and **xXIceXxShatteredXx **for the reviews!**

**I hoped you enjoyed and I further hope you will leave a review telling me what you think! Thanks for reading! ^^**


	48. Step Up

**Hey guys! Kitty29 here with the newest chapter of Colours!**

**Wow! Two chapters in a weeks time? Either you guys are really lucky or I had this chapter already written beforehand A BOO YEAH! (Just…give me this moment.) I actually rewrote the beginning of this chapter like, three or four times so expect a lot of this chapters deleted scenes in **Hues and Shades**. Speaking of which, go read **Hues and Shades **if you haven't! You'll get an inside scoop on what's happening in this story, see? –eyebrow wiggle- **

**Don't have much to say before this one, thank you **MaryMew** for the beta. Slowly but surely I am getting better and one day I will surpass my grammar master…or probably not.**

**Enjoy!  
**

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The plan had started as soon as he had sent Matthew away and convinced both Kiku and his parents to let him stay the weekend. He wished he didn't have to make his twin go away but this was something that he, as the hero, had to do on his own. He couldn't afford to be distracted!

Matthew sure was acting strange though. When he had told him he had a master plan he needed to work on all Matthew had said was 'Oh. Okay.' Kind of sucked, convincing his twin of the epicness of his plans was usually his last step in deciding if he should go through with it or not. He would have gone through with this plan even if Matthew had said no but he still wanted his opinion. Oh well, he had to focus! First it was operation 'Save Iggy!' _then_ he would focus on operation 'See What's Up With Mattie!' Hell, maybe if he was lucky enough the first operation's success would clear up the second operation as well. There was no end to the good things that will happen! Arthur may even cook a decent meal!

Dare to dream.

Totally revved up Alfred commenced with his plan as soon as he could, which happened to be the day after the whole black event. He had to give Yong Soo time to recover from helping Matthew, right? Reaching into his bag he pulled out the laptop that he had 'borrowed' from his brother. It was time for the first step in any good plan: Research. Well actually, the first _real_ step in his plan was to convince Yong Soo to go and do his Oracle thing on Arthur and the step after that was to watch as Yong Soo did his Oracle thing on Arthur (it was a simple plan. It was an awesome plan. It was a simply awesome plan) but for some reason Yong Soo was really hesitant to talk to him. Every time he tried the Korean would either make some lame excuse and retreat or just retreat. Must be some weird side effect of the cleansing thing or something like that. Oh well, he figured while he was waiting for the strange phase to pass he should do something productive, like find out just _what_ The Oracle did. So he went to the best information source he had when it came to the world of abilities: Tony's Forum.

Usually he was quickly able to find what he was looking for with a few select keywords. When he hit search, however, he mostly just got information about the less important oracles and who they were. Whoever thought it was a good idea to name them oracles and then name the head honcho _The_ Oracle really didn't think it through. They just made things harder for everyone, jeez.

When he _did_ manage to find information about The Oracle they were identified as unconfirmed rumours. So what was he supposed to do, just _guess_ at which ones he thought were right? No, he couldn't just guess, not with his master plan on the line! C'mon Tony! You're usually better than this!

His frustration quickly melted away when he uncovered a folder marked 'Confirmed Rumours' and he quickly opened up the topics inside.

'The abilities of The Oracle are supposedly the same as the first known person with supernatural abilities.'

Okay…

'There's only one documented known Oracle at a time.'

That's it? He already knew that! Did they even know _who_ the current Oracle was or _what_ he did? Huh, kind of weird that nothing was mentioned about Yong Soo now that he thought about it, as he didn't seem the type to hide his status. Huh. Maybe something about it would be mentioned in the unconfirmed rumours section…

That's where he sent the next few hours, looking from topic to topic, trying to find some information that was at less plausible enough to be true. Throughout his search he didn't come across anything that even motioned to the Korean or about the black. The closest he got was 'I think there was one from Asia' and 'heard he goes around and keep us all in check or something, like a watcher or a fairy…'

The exuberance he had at the start of his search was nearly dead by the time he got through the topic 'The Oracle: Originally an alien?' Sure Yong Soo was weird, but he was definitely _not_ an alien. His body looked and reacted too much like a human for him to be an alien, he had decided on that _ages_ ago. With a small sigh he decided to take a break. He never liked the research portion of his plans anyways, most of the time he ended up skipping them all together. As far as he could remember this was the longest he had gone without giving up and barrelling into the next step. Maybe he should try talking to Yong Soo again…

He was just about to close the laptop when something caught his eye. Pulling the screen back up he blinked when he saw a random chat window open itself up.

_I see you've been looking into The Oracle._

Alfred stared at the words. What the..? How the hell would he know? Did the forum even _have_ a chat function? He looked to the username of the one messaging him. Otherworldy050? Not anyone he knew of. He clicked on the name and went to his profile. Let's see…Moderator, over one thousand posts, wow. Interests: government, technology, toothpicks what the? What the hell kind of interests were those? The chat window popped up over the profile before he could read on.

_If you want to know something you can just ask me, I'm right fuckin' here._

Alfred tore his hands away from the keyboard. Wh-what the hell? How did he know he was looking at his profile? Was he watching his screen or something? Was he some kind of hacker? Well shit, he better not give him a virus, this wasn't even his computer!

_Hey. You want to know about The Oracle or not?_

Alfred watched the words warily before he turned to the only other person in the room, wondering if he was paying some kind of trick on him. Kiku sat at his desk pouring over his schoolwork, not even his cell phone on the table at he focused solely on the handwritten notes in front of him. Alfred studied his form before he banished the thought of trickery and turned back to the computer screen. Tentatively, he wrote a reply back, really hoping this wasn't a virus that was activated upon him writing something.

_yeah who r u 2 no?_

The response was immediate.

_Tell me the current Oracle's name and I'll help you._

_im yong soo_

Nearly as soon as he as had sent the name another window was opened for him, leading him to another topic within the forum, one that he vaguely recalled skipping over in his search. The chat appeared in the top left corner.

_Owl321's post. It's the real deal._

Figuring he had nothing to lose he scrolled past the various frivolous ramblings until he hit the mentioned post.

'I heard from someone who met the guy that every new generation of The Oracle gains a new secondary ability. If that's true soon we'll have a real life Professor Xavier lol.'

Seriously? A different ability every generation? Wouldn't that mean that Yong Soo had…wait…he didn't know what generation he was. Well, he knew for sure that he wasn't first generation and it wasn't likely that he was second generation either so…third or forth? Yong Soo had three or four different abilities? Sweet! He briefly wondered if they all had something to do with the whole black business. Speaking of which…

_yo Otherwordly050 guy how come 0 of these things mention the black thing?_

_Cause that shit ain't common knowledge! Out of all the people with abilities maybe a good 5% of them will ever need The Oracle, everyone else would just be as paranoid as the dumb fucks they are if they know about the black. If they knew everyone would want The Oracle to cleanse them. You've ever seen The Oracle at work?_

_yeah_

_Then you know how much it sucks for him after._

So all that need to know basis stuff was to protect Yong Soo? He guessed that made sense. For some reason he briefly wondered if Yong Soo had pulled out some of his black little by little in their make out sessions. He did always feel pretty good after so it was possible. Not that the guy was ever sickly afterwards but he figured if he did it piece by piece it wouldn't bother him as much. Could he even do that? Huh, actually…ever since he started seeing the other he_ did_ begin having those really good dreams. Hm…thinking about it now it didn't seem like a coincidence...

His attention returned to the computer when his 'helper' spoke again.

_How do you know about The Oracle and the black anyway, you one of his lucky victims?_

_how do u no him?_ Came what Alfred thought was a brilliant reply.

_We exchange info._

So what, was this guy some kind of abilities information broker? Don't tell him Yong Soo was his right hand bitch or something, he didn't know if he could take that.

_So you were cleansed or what?_

There was a small pause before Alfred decided to indulge the guy. He _was_ helping him after all.

_i'm dating the guy_

_So you're Alfred._

Alfred jerked his hands away from the keyboard again, staring wide eyed at his name. What the hell, he _knew_ him? How the hell did he know who he was? Otherworldly050 posted a smiley face as if he had seen his reaction and was laughing at him. Alfred frowned. He frowned at the smiley face.

_That Oracle kid and I talk a lot. He mostly just talks about this 'Alfred F. Bonnefoy-Kirkland' guy, about how 'heroic' he is and how 'he looks so good without a shirt'. His words not mine. I'm more of an ass man myself._

Alfred stared dumbfounded at the words. Did Yong Soo really talk about him like that? Wow that was just…so weird. He grinned. So so weird. So so soooo _weird!_ Cute weird though. He was glad the guy wasn't an alien.

_soooo ur helping me cuz ur yong soos friend or sumthing?_

_No._

_then who r u? r u a hacker?_

He got multiple smiley faces as a response, indicting that this Otherworldy050 thought that was pretty funny. Alfred frowned at the many smiley faces before he made to close the chat window. The guy may be friends with Yong Soo but this whole thing was still sketchy.

_Kay I'll tell you._

He stopped.

_I helped you because your posts are funny._

_srly?_

_Yep._

Alfred looked blankly at his words, fairly disappointed. Really? He was helping him out because he had some witty one liners at his disposal? He really shouldn't be complaining, the guy did help him but still…

_If that's all you have to ask I gotta go._

_wait! who r u?_

Without getting an answer the chat window closed, any evidence that it had ever existed vanishing along with it as well. Alfred stared at the screen with a frown; as if hoping the power of his obvious displeasure would make the device do what he wanted. Of course it didn't and with a small huff he closed the laptop and clambered off the bed. It was about time for the next step, research was stupid anyways.

"Gonna check on Yong Soo." He told Kiku, who simply nodded with an almost automatic, "hai." Alfred smirked at his friend, who was so into his work he probably would have acted the same way if he had told him he was going to play strip poker with a bunch of burly body building lesbians. He shook his head before he exited the room and headed down the hall. He hadn't seen much of Yong Soo over the last few days, not because he didn't want to, but he figured the first place he should check would be his bedroom. Logical enough place to start, right? This time his first thought was correct for when he drew close to his destination he heard the familiar voice of Yong Soo waft through it.

"—little while, until I feel better."

"How long will that be, aru?"

Hey was that Yao in there too? Hm, he idly recalled Matthew asking about him. He supposed after he talked to Yong Soo he would call him up and tell him that Yao was right here. Alfred stopped in front of the door and posed his hand to knock.

"I-I don't know, da~ze! Until I feel bet—"

"This is about Matthew's brother, isn't it?"

Alfred's hand stilled. What the…? Were they talking about him? An etched out silence followed Yao's question and Alfred gingerly placed his hand on the door and leaned forward, wondering if he had missed the reply.

"I fujca—!_ No!_ You're so paranoid, Aniki! Why _why_ would it have _anything_ to do with—"

"Don't lie to me so blatantly! Aiyeh, I knew something would happen with this guy…"

"_Alfred's not just some guy he's—!_"

Another silence dragged out. Alfred pursed his lips. It was obvious they were talking about him now but what the hell were they accusing him of?

"I…I…I just don't _want_ to go, da~ze!"

Go? Go where? Alfred's brows furrowed as he vaguely recalled Yong Soo saying that he traveled around a lot because he was The Oracle, but he wasn't leaving now, was he? He couldn't leave! He had only been here for, what? Two and a half months? Plus he was his stalker! He committed himself to it, he couldn't just ditch!

"Go where? You have nowhere _to_ go!"

"…I don't?"

"_No!_"

Alfred nearly let out a breath of relief but he quickly stuffed out the thought. He had to be quiet.

"Aiyeh! What in your weird mind made you think you were leaving?"

"I don't know! Oracle duties?"

"Why are you asking me? You know these things before I do!"

"I-I don't know! I just can't leave yet, da~ze! I have to stay!"

There was an annoyed groan from Yao. "Why, aru?"

"I…don't be mad but it is about Alfred. Aniki I think I'm…"

A third troubling silence crawled on. Alfred leaned forward even further, suddenly feeling rooted to the spot. Even if he wanted to it was impossible for him to walk away now. This was finally it, the moment of truth, the climax of the story, the reason he had started eavesdropping in the first place. He apparently did something and that something was keeping Yong Soo away from his duties as The Oracle. Not that he really minded but seriously, what the hell did they think he did? Why the hell did Yong Soo stop there? Why the hell was this silence so _long?_

"…I think I'm in love with him."

Alfred's hand slipped and his forehead loudly banged against the door. He stepped away from it and slapped a hand over his now wounded forehead, hissing profanities through clutched teeth. The door swung open, revealing an irate Chinaman.

"_What are you doing?_ Get out of here!"

His gaze flickered to the Korean to find him staring back at him, his eyes wide and panicked. Alfred tried to speak but the noise that leapt out sounded like he was being strangled. He mirrored Yong Soo's look of panic. His mind completely shut down but his body was there to quickly pick up the reigns.

He sharply turned and high tailed it out of there. He made a beeline for Kiku's bedroom, hastily gathering up his belongings before just as hastily leaving. Kiku asked him something as he was left but for life of him couldn't remember. He made to run down the stairs but a certain Korean intercepted his path.

"W-wait!" Yong Soo cried, his arms fully spread on each side just in cause Alfred tried to run past him. "Don't go! You can't go, da~ze! You can't leave now! You can't!"

Dry mouth, shaky hands,_ cold sweat_. Alfred attempted to speak again. "Bah, bah bwah…?"

Yong Soo stared desperately back at the American, his chest heaving up and down as he fought back mass hysteria. "You heard it, right? _You heard it?_"

Alfred did manage to speak though it was in an octave higher than his usual voice. "_Yes I did!_" It was hearing that high pitched squeal that made his mind start working again. Dear God he was terrified, Jesus, he was_ petrified! But why?_ Yong Soo was his boyfriend and he_ loved_ him, honest to goddess love! Wasn't that a good thing? Wasn't this predicable? When people date long enough they usually fall in love with each other! How long had he and Yong Soo been going o—_GAH it didn't matter!_ Yong Soo loved him. _Yong Soo_ loved _him! Why?_

"Don't freak out!" Yong Soo commanded far too late. "Please don't freak out! Just stay here so we can, I don't know! Just _stay! PLEASE!_"

Bags suddenly heavy in his arms, Alfred slacked them and allowed his belongings to fall to the ground. In retaliation Yong Soo lowered his own arms, a small weak smile betraying his face. For five entire seconds the two stared at each other without a sound, whirlwinds of heightened emotions and unspoken words swirling between each other in waves of endless confusion. Finally sick of all the jumbled nonsensical information Yong Soo spoke.

"I've liked you ever since I first met you! You had the best soul I have seen ever and I was curious! Especially after I met Mattie! I just—I wanted to know if he had the same soul too because he's your twin but he didn't! You're unique! You're-you're you, you're—!" He swallowed back a lump in his throat, trying to figure out where he was going with this. "You're brave and passionate and understanding and you get mad when you should be mad and sometimes when you shouldn't, too." He tried to fight it but he couldn't help the small laugh. "You're protective and caring and aggressive and never afraid to be a hero and…and you didn't freak out as much as you should have when you saw me at my worst an you…you…you were always so nice to me even when I didn't deserve it and I've never been more comfortable or excited than I have with you and-and you almost beat me in Call of Duty once! And…and…I don't know, da~ze…I guess…I guess when you were out being a hero I realized that I…that I…" He made sure he was looking Alfred dead in the eyes before he continued. "That I'm in love with you, Alfred F. Bonnefoy-Kirkland."

Alfred was absolutely, positively floored. He didn't know what to do or what to think. His mind had completely shut down again but this time his body was unwilling to fill in the blanks. The only thing he could do was stare at the boy before him, the boy who had just admitted to loving him. The boy who just handed him his heart on a sliver platter.

He was speechless. No, he was beyond speechless. Yong Soo's confession had left him mute. He wouldn't be able to speak even if he had something to say. Yong Soo loved him but did he love Yong Soo? Did it even matter at this point? Was it _supposed_ to matter? Just what was he supposed to…

For some reason his eyes drifted towards Kiku's bedroom where he just managed to spot his friend before he ducked back into the room. Yong Soo followed his gaze, recalling that they were standing in the middle of the hallway and not somewhere private. He took hold of Alfred's hand and led him away, the blond following without complaint .Yong Soo led them back to his bedroom, where Yao still stood. He turned to the two when they entered, his eyes going from Alfred's blank expression to their interlocked hands and finally to Yong Soo. He boy cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortable before he spoke. "Um…I'm sorry Aniki but can we…?" He trailed off as he couldn't meet Yao's stare, leaving the rest of the sentence up for interpretation. Yao didn't move. He waited until Yong Soo had glanced up at him before he gave him a look that clearly asked a question.

_'Are you sure?'_

Instantly Yong Soo shook his head but then promptly nodded, clearly showcasing his confusion. Still, he sent him a pleading look, hoping that the elder would understand that this was something he needed to handle on his own. Yao didn't look convinced but with an exasperated sigh he left the room, making sure to send a warning glare in Alfred's direction before he closed the door behind him. As soon as he left Yong Soo went to the door and listened to the retreating footsteps, making sure he was gone. When he assured that fact Yong Soo pressed his forehead against the wood and sighed.

Alfred regarded him silently. He must have brought him here so he would be more comfortable to reply to his confession but even without witnesses he was still rendered mute. For some reason that fact suddenly angered him and he tugged at his collar harshly. What exactly was this about? Sure Yong Soo's news had been shocking but his stupid body was making a much bigger deal of this then it should have been! Seriously, he couldn't fucking talk!

He tested clearing his throat, unintentionally gaining the attention of the other. Alfred could do nothing but stare into his expectant gaze and allow the passing of time to slowly trickle by. Yong Soo twisted his body until he was fully facing Alfred, finally cutting through the nearly depressing silence with an uncharacteristically meek whisper. "You're scared, aren't you?"

Alfred's body physically stiffened as the words cut him like a knife. Why, he had no idea. He was just stating the obvious, he was scared. Very scared. He nodded numbly, not knowing what else he could do. Yong Soo reeled at the silent confession and his gaze swiftly shifted in meaning. Was he…offended?

"You're not supposed to be scared! You're supposed to cry or jump for joy or kiss me with passion I didn't even _know_ existed! You have no reason to be scared! I should be the scared one! I just told you I _love_ you! I feel like my heart's going to curl into itself and _die!_ Why aren't you consoling me or something, da~ze!"

"_I don't know!_" Alfred finally managed to find his voice and now that he was using it he wasn't going to stop. "Hero's are supposed to be really happy or coolly acknowledge the confession, not do whatever the fuck I just did! I have no idea why but I'm fucking _terrified_! My hands are shaking, I feel like I just swallowed a bucket of bees and I'm sweating! I'm_ fucking sweating_ and I'm not even hot! I have no idea what I'm supposed to do and I have no idea what you _want_ me to do! You _love_ me? Damn it Yong Soo we're not even old enough to _join the military!_"

"You're _never_ too young for love!" Yong Soo instantly retorted, his voice cracking halfway through. His eyes grew misty and he suddenly lacked the will power to look angry. "How-how could you even _scream_ that at me? You weren't supposed to scream! _Damn it_ Alfred! You r-ruined everything!"

Alfred's anger immediately melted away when he realized just_ how_ upset he had made him. N-no! He didn't mean to! He was just unprepared. He couldn't get upset because he was unprepared. Not over this! "Yong Soo do—"

"_Just go_!" Yong Soo wailed, angrily rubbing his eyes. "You'll only make it worse. Go!"

Alfred couldn't leave; he was standing in front of the door. "No! Yong Soo if you seriously loved me you wouldn't cry, I never want to see you cry! How can I be your hero if I'm the one that makes you cry! So, so stop it ca-cause it's not cool, okay?"

Yong Soo froze his eyes wide in shock. "Re-really?"

"_YES!_" Alfred cried, exasperated. "And…and I'm sorry that I was so unheroic and, and some other shit, I don't know." A small frustrated noise rumbled in his throat when he realized he didn't know what else to say. He turned back to Yong Soo to find that he had regained that look of expectation and the corner of his lip tugged down in an awkward lopsided frown. His senses were slowly returning to him and with them his realization of his previous actions. Wow, he messed up bad. He was so dead in the first half of this thing; he had to do something and show him that he was worth a damn now!

With determination to prove his worth coursing through his veins, he confidently strolled up to Yong Soo, grabbed his face and smashed their lips together. He moved his hands into his hair and grabbed into his dark locks as he kissed him with everything he could muster, hoping it was a big enough gesture to match with the others confession of love. He pulled apart only when he needed air though he immediately gave in to his boyfriend's next command.

"Again."

He complied, his grand master plan to bring his family back together utterly forgotten.

* * *

**Argh writing bad text/message spelling will always kill me a little inside.**

** For the better part of two weeks I thought of rewriting Alfred's reaction but the more I thought about it the more sense it made for him to flip out. Plus this is Yong Soo, after all this is over he'll probably be happy that his confession was fill of soap opera-quse drama.**

**_Next _chapter we'll get back to Matthew, the main character. 'Bout time…why does this story have so many side stories?**

**Thank you **TinaBanina96, moonlightgaia123, mIsS-vIcToRy96, Odisdera-kun, Ashe-Kuro, Chelseaj500, Melody Syper Carston, foREVerhauntingme, fan girl 666, Don'tMessWithAFangirl, Leafy Savanna Chan, MoonlightMew513, vesana, Leite Destiny, black-misty-sky, cheyjan**, **Anon** and **Hetaliafangirl1113 **for the reviews!**

**Hoped you enjoyed and please leave a review! ^^**


	49. Present Fears

**Hello everyone! Kitty29 here with a new chapter of Colours!**

**Sorry for the wait everyone, for some reason it seemed like after every page I wrote of this I was hit with writer's block, making this rather difficult to complete. It also didn't help that every time I wrote someone's reaction to something but brain kept whispering 'thisss isss bulllshhiitttt' argh. I really hope its fine, this chapter made me a little uncomfortable while I wrote it. Not sure why, but I had to force myself out of my comfort zone to type up this little didy. Y u so strange, chapter?**

**Anyways, this chapter had the potential to be the longest one yet (I got blisters on me fingers!) but I cut out a scene between Alfred and Matthew because it was just a bit too out of context. It was pretty long too like, 3 pages or a little over 1000 words but I'm going to post it separately in **Hues and Shades** so it's not a big loss. It'll be over there in lets' say about a week or two. I need to stop cutting out so many scenes…**

**Thanks **MaryMew **for the epic beta! Even when busy she found the time to do this for me! She's like, or no, she **_**is**_** the best beta ever. I'm seriously in love with you, in a strictly bromance kind of way of course but it's still there. Thanks for the beta.**

**Kay that's about it, hope you enjoy! ^^**

* * *

Matthew lay staring at the ceiling. He had watched the sky as it slowly transformed from night to dawn to morning, though the shifting colours doing nothing to help with his insomnia.

It had been two days since his 'kidnapping' and he had yet to tell anyone about it. After Elizabeta had let him go he had continued like nothing had happened, he went and received Alfred's phone then went to meet him back at Kiku's house. It was there he learned he was going to spend the weekend over at Berwald's apartment. Alfred had shoved a bag of packed clothes and his school bag at him before saying he wasn't going with him, he had to stay and work on his 'master plan'. Yao wasn't there.

Normally he would have warily asked what his twin's plan was, as he was usually the one who would talk him out of his 'grand master plans' but this time he just couldn't find it in him. He didn't know why but ever since his interactions with _her_ everything's been strange. It was as if his body was running on complete automatic, so much so that at times he felt like a floating presence just outside his body, simply there to observe. Even now, as he just lay there, it was as if he was thinking everything and nothing at the same time, he just couldn't bring himself to focus. What did he do to her?

Reaching into his shirt he pulled out the object she had bestowed to him and held it up in the air. It was a USB stick. If he wasn't completely out his mind he would be tempted to see what it contained but she said no one but Yao was allowed to open it. He had yet to see Yao.

He heard a door open and he immediately shoved the stick back into his shirt before closing his eyes, pretending to be asleep. His ears twitched when he heard the door shut, closely accompanied by a loud yawn. Tired footsteps made their way past the couch he was currently 'sleeping' on but paused. They backtracked until they were right beside him. "…I know you are not asleep, Mattie. Your have your glasses on."

Matthew opened his eyes to find himself face to face with Lars, Berwald's roommate from the Netherlands. He smiled his lazy lopsided grin and Matthew blushed. The man was almost stupidly handsome, with his high cheekbones and sharp green eyes that always demanded attention. It certainly didn't help that the handsome man had hit on him when they had first met, though honestly Matthew didn't notice until Berwald had told Lars to 'back off because he was only fifteen'. Though Lars was only nineteen and soon Matthew would be sixteen so really they were only three years apart. Matthew had to keep telling himself that he already had a boyfriend.

Lars continued. "Cool, so what do you want for breakfast?"

Matthew's blush deepened and he wished the other would leave him alone. His presence was bothering him. "N-no it's okay…I'll make something."

At that Lars' grin widened, making Matthew's blush deepen even more. "You mean I will have breakfast prepared to me by a cutie like you? What a good start of the day."

O-oh. He didn't mean he would make him breakfast but from the way Lars was looking at him he supposed he had no choice now.

"_Lars."_

Berwald appeared and placed a hand on his shoulder, indicating his flirting time was up. Lars, getting the hint, left without a word. Releasing a sigh Berwald focused on Matthew. "…Y'sleep well?"

Matthew nodded and Berwald grunted in response. Deciding that was enough of morning pleasantries, Berwald tiredly moved on. Shortly after Matthew decided to get up and follow after them, taking a moment to adjust his overly baggy shirt. Alfred had forgotten to pack his pyjamas so for the last few days he had been sleeping in one of Berwald's t-shirts (which was almost comically big on the Canadian) and his boxer shorts. Reaching into his bag of clothes he pulled out some pants and pulled them on. He didn't like people seeing him in his boxers, not even his family. It was a silly he knew but it was just how he worked he supposed. Not bothering to change his shirt he walked towards the kitchen.

Berwald shuffled over to the kitchen counters and leaned heavily on them, removing his glasses to rub his eyes. "I c'uldn't save 'im."

Matthew looked to him quizzical before he turned his questioning gaze to Lars. He shrugged in response before he picked up a washcloth and focused his attention on removing a random dark spot on the wall. "Just ignore him. He's always like that after one of his weird dream things."

Without thinking Matthew replied, "Being an oracle must be hard." His mind caught up with his words two seconds too late. _Damn _he was supposed to be keeping these abilities a secret, and here he is blabbing off abilities terms like it was normal.

Lars spoke back. "Yes. Glad I'm not one."

Matthew blinked. "So…you know?"

"That he can dream the future? Yes." He stopped scrubbing to inspect the spot, only to cuss in his native tongue before dipping down to open the cabinet under the sink.

"Do…do you have one too?"

Grabbing a bottle of cleaning product, he sprayed a rather generous amount on the spot. "No I do not have one of those freaky things."

"Ign're 'im." Berwald spoke up, apparently done acting like he had just witnessed someone kick a puppy. He grabbed a mug and poured himself a cup of coffee. "Get ready, Matt'ew. I'll drive y'to school."

Matthew glanced between the men before he nodded and walked out of the kitchen. The spot finally gone, Lars put his cleaning products away and tuned back into reality. He jerked his head in the direction of the retreated blond. "Kiddo on something?"

Berwald chose stirring sugar into his coffee over answering him. Lars rolled up his sleeves and rested his elbows on the countertop behind him. "Who was it?"

"Short. Blond." Berwald described as he rubbed his forehead in an attempt to ease away the dull ache in his skull. "A flow'r pot fell on his head. Skull c'llapsed into his brain. Died inst'ntly. C'uldn't save 'im in time."

"Same one, huh?" Lars pondered aloud. It wasn't the first time he had been told about the blond killed by the flower pot. Actually, Berwald had been telling him about it over the last week. He hoped that today would be the last; this story was starting to get boring.

Berwald tipped his stirring spoon against the mug before he carelessly threw it in the right sink. "Yes."

Lars picked up the spoon and threw it in the left sink before he reached for a sponge though Berwald slapped it away. He leaned back against the counter and tried not to pay attention to the lone dirty spoon in the otherwise perfectly clean sink. "So you're going to save the world one short blond at a time?"

Berwald grunted, acknowledging the comment before he replied in all seriousness, "I'll try." He took his mug and left the kitchen.

Lars idly watched him go before his focus shifted to the dirty spoon. Again he reached for it and the sponge.

"Don't."

He put his arms to his sides before he turned and forced himself to walk away.

/ / / \ \ \

He didn't feel right. _This _wasn't right.

He stood, perfectly still, looking at the school he saw nearly every day as the incoming flood of students walked past him. He should be following their example and head inside but at the moment the strangeness he felt about himself and his surroundings forbid them from moving. He came here five times a week and yet he had never really taken the time to actually _look _at his school.

It was a very plain school like building, nothing really outstanding or interesting about it in any way.

This was what he, as a teenager, did right? He was only fifteen. It wasn't like he had anything more remarkable to do or any tasks he desperately needed to complete. Classes would end soon and then exams would start. The whole school was abuzz with talks of summer plans and last minute high school dramas. That was what he should focus on now right?

The message he got a few days ago told him he would see Yao on Friday, just four days from now. He would give him the USB then but until that time he would act just like he always did.

Because that thing that happened with _her_…

It did _not _change him.

It did _not_ change anything.

He's fine. He's fine. He didn't do anything; he didn't do _anything_ to her. What did she think he did to her? It doesn't matter because he didn't do anything. He's fine. He's fine. What did he _do? _He's fine.

"Yo Mattie!"

Before he could even turn his head to look at the one who called his name the person had taken hold of his wrist and led him away from the crowd of students. Matthew followed without complaint though didn't even realize it was Alfred leading him until they had stopped at a less populated spot further from the front entrance to their school. Alfred turned to him with a bright smile. The smile said he was happy to see him but the small cease between his brows meant he was also quizzical about something.

"Hey Mattie, what up? You okay?" He had tried to make it sound as conversational as possible but the concern was too obvious to hide. Matthew tilted his head. He wasn't acting _that_ weird, was he?

He's fine. "I'm fine."

The slip of his smile and the deepening of the cease told him his twin wasn't as convinced as he was. "Ya' sure? 'Cause you blocking the way into the school isn't something you normally do."

Matthew's eyes widened. Not because he didn't even realize he was acting as an obstacle but because of a certain word that Alfred had used. 'Normal'. That's right. That's what he needed right now. "I'm fine, Al. I just…I just want a normal day today."

The cease deepened further and he stared at his counterpart like he had just told him the moon was made out of cheese. Though after a few seconds he laughed, the smile back and the cease gone. "_That's_ what you were thinking about? Frinkin' airhead." He pushed Matthew's forehead with his palm, still laughing lightly.

Though it didn't hurt Matthew still reached up and rubbed at where he had pushed. "I-it's not that weird, is it?"

Alfred shook his head before he threw his arm around his brother and pulled him into a one armed hug. "Nah, let's do it! Let's have one more normal day before we have to start cramming for exams so we don't epically fail at everything!"

Despite himself and the fact that his whole being still felt off-kilter Matthew smiled. "Yeah!" One day. Just one normal day was what he needed. One day where he could pretend he never stumbled upon the world of abilities. Where he could pretend he hadn't been lied to by his father. Where he could pretend he hadn't been kidnapped just days prior.

Just one normal day with no incidents, mishaps or break downs. Today was going to be normal if it _killed _him.

Someone grabbed onto his chin, forced his head to turn and promptly pushed their lips against his. His eyes widened and in retaliation to the sudden intimate act his body went rigid. It took longer than it should have to remember but when the other had slipped a hand into his hair he recalled that he had a boyfriend named Gilbert, who was the one kissing him. Oh right. Once he recalled this he relaxed and kissed back, though from the get go had trouble keeping up with Gilbert's more experienced mouth. Usually Gilbert would slow it down when he realized that Matthew was struggling but this time it didn't seem like he cared at all. Before Matthew could even wonder why this was an arm looped around his own and pulled him back.

"What the _fuck_, man?" Alfred yelled at the unwelcome third presence.

Gilbert scowled and pushed Alfred away. "Fuck off I'm not in the mood." With that he went to kiss Matthew again but Matthew stopped him by putting two fingers on his lips.

Matthew didn't want to kiss him right now, partly because he was knew if he let him Alfred would jump in and try to start something and partly because he felt in the current mood Gilbert would eat his face off. "What's wrong?"

"His freakin' _existence_ is what's wro—" A raised hand from Matthew stopped Alfred mid sentence. Matthew turned to him and gave him a look that clearly commutated 'I-got-this'. Alfred didn't look completely convinced but either way he shut his mouth and silently fumed on his own. Satisfied, Matthew turned his attention back to Gilbert as he waited for an answer.

Meanwhile, Gilbert was also silently fuming; his narrowed eyes making his red orbs glow with anger. He hadn't planned to tell Matthew what was up, he wasn't even sure why he came over to him in the first place, but under his boyfriend's violet gaze he crumbled. Turning away he pushed the hand away from his mouth and growled. Great, now he was also angry at himself for having such weak self resistant. Nevertheless Gilbert began his rant.

"Fucking West! I go to check in on him and he looks like he was going to die! Not that the fucker even cares, I know he's into some weird SMB shit but I didn't think he was a fucking masochist! I give him some of my awesome time and you know what he does to me? He laughs._ In. My. FACE!_ But oh it's not like that fucking matters; all he gives two shits about is Feliciano. I was right about his power of homo lovesickness, every two fucking seconds, 'it was for Feliciano' 'it's okay because Feliciano's okay' 'just tell me how Feliciano's doing', like hell I will! If he keeps doing this shit I'll grab a gun and shoot the bastard again myself. See how he likes that shit! Fucking mother—_FUCK!"_ Wanting to do _something_ to showcase his frustration but not knowing what Gilbert angrily scratched at his head as a low growl rumbled out his throat. He looked back at the twins expecting that, at least from Matthew, they be as angry as him or sympathetic of his exports. He got neither from neither of them. Instead, both looked rather awed. Alfred had a large near disbelieving smile on his face and Matthew was trying to cover his own smile with his hands though the twinkle in his eye betrayed him.

"Dude! Your bro sounds freakin' heroic!" Alfred commented with a hearty laugh. He mentally noted that he needed to up his hero game. He wasn't going to let Ludwig sort of but not really taking a bullet for his friend make him a bigger hero than him. "Don't know why the hell you're getting so upset. You should be proud of the guy! What he did was awesome!"

"Only _I_ can decide what is or isn't awesome." Gilbert snapped, only making Alfred laugh.

"That right was revoked the second you started calling _yourself_ awesome."

"No one asked you fucking—!" Gilbert was halted mid insult by a sound that was rather inappropriate for the situation.

A light, happy giggle.

Both Gilbert and Alfred turned to look at Matthew who made a small embarrassed noise at the attention. He didn't mean to deter them, the noise just slipped out! "S-sorry. I didn't mean to I just…" He stopped himself when he realized if he continued talking he would just dig himself a deeper hole. Damn it, he's never felt more like a teenage girl than he did right now. When Gilbert told him Ludwig's story his immediate thought was how _romantic _it all was. Ludwig had convinced Feliciano to give him back the wound that could have killed him just so Feliciano didn't have to suffer anymore. Even if the two weren't lovers, it was still very romantic on a friendship level. Then as he was thinking about this he realized why Gilbert was so upset. It was because he was so concerned about his younger brother's safety and, God, seeing Gilbert so concerned was just…cute.

"…'cute?'" Alfred repeated incredulously. Matthew's face went red when he realized he had said that last bit aloud.

"I am _not_ concerned about that masochist!" Gilbert defended, completely skipping over the cute comment. "That guy can jump out his window for all I care! If I _ever _act like that _please_ kick me in the balls!"

"Hell, I could do that now if you want." Alfred replied with a bright hundred watt smile.

"Stay the fuck out of this fa—" Matthew laughed again, stopping Gilbert once more. He turned to him, annoyed. "Will you stop that—" Again Matthew interrupted him but with a different method this time around. Matthew had walked up to him, leaned forward and planted a chaste kiss on his cheek. "Please don't worry about Ludwig. I'm sure he's fine."

Gilbert just stared at him, suddenly rather dazed. Tentatively he reached up and touched the cheek that Matthew kissed, his surprise from the act slowly but surely overpowering his anger. Did that really just happen? Did Matthew seriously just kiss him on the _cheek?_ Wow, the last time someone had done that they were aiming for his mouth but were so drunk they missed. Though this kiss was certainly different from that one, this kiss was…nice. Nice…when was the last time he had been in a 'nice' relationship? He honestly couldn't recall a time.

Matthew couldn't help his smile from growing as he observed Gilbert's dumbfounded expression. In his mind, Gilbert's speechlessness only ascended his cute status into adorable. Letting his French instincts take him over just this once, Matthew took hold of the hand not touching his cheek and removed the glove covering it. Before Gilbert could gather his bearings enough to ask what he was doing Matthew raised the hand to his mouth and brushed his lips against the knuckles, all the while keeping an intent eye on Gilbert's expression. Today would certainly be a day to go down in history for today was the day that he, Matthew Kirkland-Bonnefoy had managed to make the infamous Gilbert Beilschmidt blush, and oh what a sight he was. The pink hue only served to make his pale skin seem even more handsomely pale in comparison which, indirectly, made the deep red of his eyes even more strikingly beautiful. Oh, how he wished he had a camera right now.

"Does anyone even care that I'm here right now?" Alfred rolled his eyes and threw his arms in the air when the two didn't even so much as glance in his direction. "_Fine, _whatever. _Don't_ pay attention to me." With that he turned and headed towards the school. His exit was rather well timed for not ten seconds after he had left the bell rang out. The sound startled the two out of any trance they had slowly dragged themselves into and almost like a switch had been pulled Gilbert's blush disappeared.

Inwardly Matthew cursed before he realized just what he had done to achieve said blush. What in the—_why _would he do that? What was he thinking? Convinced he had made a fool out of himself, Matthew desperately tried to get the glove back on Gilbert's hand as he stammered out apologizes. "I-I'm so sorry! I d-don't know why-why I would do that—I can't even, I-I—!"

Seeing as Matthew trembling fingers weren't going to complete their task any time soon, Gilbert took the glove and easily slipped it back on. "You don't have to apologize for everything, Mattie. You're totally ruining the mood."

"S-sorry…" Matthew replied automatically, making Gilbert laugh.

"You're lucky you're cute. I'll see you later, 'kay?" There was a beat of indecision before Gilbert peeked Matthew's cheek and promptly walked away. Behind him, Matthew couldn't help his smile.

/ / / \ \ \

School finished without too much trouble, to the delight of Matthew and his plan to have a successful normal day. About twenty minutes after it had ended he found himself sitting around in the small grassy area at the back of the school with Gilbert, Alfred and his friend Martin (Yong Soo was there but rushed off after realizing that Kiku was starting to walk home without him). They weren't doing much of anything, just talking rather animatedly to each other about school, exams, relationship status', everything that did and didn't matter. Matthew was quite enjoying himself (though he was blissfully unaware of the often murderous looks between his boyfriend and his twin) until he saw something, or rather, didn't see something strange.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Feliciano. He knew that he had been discharged recently, even though the doctors were baffled by his sudden recovery, but he didn't know he would be back in school so quickly. Looking at the brunette he noted that he was acting rather different than normal. First of all, he was entirely by himself. Usually he would be walking about with a small group of people, as many were naturally attracted to the Italian and his rather sunny disposition but this time he was alone. Another thing was his walk, though a strange thing to notice about another Feliciano had a rather interesting walk. It was like he had small springs hot-glued to the bottoms of his feet, each step had a lightness to it, a bounce or a mini skip. Watch him long enough and it didn't even seem as if he were walking anymore, rather, he glided from location to location, infecting his happiness to whoever happened to be along his path. Watching him now, though, there was no lightness in his step. He simply…walked, for the lack of a better word, like an ordinary muggle. No skip or bounce just one foot in front of the other. Left right, left right, left right…

There…there was something else, something more important but Matthew couldn't put his finger on it.

"YO FELI!" Gilbert suddenly yelled. It seemed he wasn't the only one to notice him. Gilbert waved his arms high in the air to get his attention. "FELI! OVER HERE!"

Feliciano froze at his name and looked over at Gilbert. He blinked at him but didn't move.

"Feli!" Martin cheered, pointing at the Italian with faint uncertainly. "…Vargas! You sit next to me in science. You let me steal your notes sometimes. What's up?"

A small smile found its way to Feliciano's face though it was rather timid. "The sky's up!" He shouted before he had his way over. His hands were violently wringing the strap of his off shoulder bag but the rest of him was relaxed, considered.

Gilbert released a bark of a laugh before he patted on the grass beside him. "Come sit down! You'll feel better in my awesome presence!" Alfred rolled his eyes and blew a raspberry, making Martin laugh and Gilbert glare at him.

Feliciano continued to stand, the smile on his face fading slightly as he laughed. He was trying to hide it but he was nervous. "I want to but I can't! Lovino's wa—"

"C'mon! Just sit with us!" Gilbert interrupted with a large bright grin. "I got a present for you!"

"A…present?" Feliciano repeated. He looked confused. Despite this Gilbert nodded happily.

"Yeah, so sit so I can give it to ya'!" He patted the spot again encouragingly and, curious, Feliciano sat. Still grinning Gilbert turned his attention away from Feliciano to grab his bag. "Awesome! Right, just give me a sec…"

Feliciano nodded before he waved to everyone in greeting. It wasn't until Matthew had returned the wave did he realize what had been bothering him ever since he had laid eyes on Feliciano. His colours were gone. That wasn't to say that Matthew couldn't see them if he concentrated but usually, especially with Feliciano, he didn't have to. Usually all it took was a simple side ways glace and his colour would leap out at him wither he wanted it or not but today…nothing. He was as ordinary as everyone else. Huh.

Having found whatever he was looking for Gilbert pulled his hands out of the bag, withdrawing from it a small thin rectangular box. Before he handed it over he looked at it and flicked his hand across the top several times, riding it of any imperfections it might had gathered while out of his sight. Only when he was satisfied it was pristine did he give it to Feliciano. Feliciano gingerly took the gift and blinked down at it as Gilbert rambled on, "Saw these in my closet and I thought you should have them since, you know." He shrugged and gestured to something vaguely with his hands. Not even Feliciano looked like he understood what he was talking about. Though, curiosity over coming him, he removed the top of the box, revealing a pair of barely used lush green leather gloves. Upon seeing the gift a sharp inhale interrupted his breath and his body froze in place as if suddenly painted into his surroundings.

"Yeah, thought we could match, become like some kind of duo. It'll be awesome!" Gilbert proclaimed excitedly, grin brimming with pride at the Italian's sudden speechlessness. His eyes were completely trained on Feliciano, not wanting to miss a second of his grateful reaction when he got through his initial bout of overwhelming emotion. He didn't notice Alfred's eyes widen when he saw what was in the box nor did he see the American's eyes flicker to each individual, his mouth hung open in a way that suggested he desperately had something to say but couldn't fathom the words to express it. Matthew and Martin saw the act and they exchanged glances to see if the other knew what was running through his head. For once, both were stumped.

A small pitiful whimper brought everyone's attention back towards Feliciano and, as if a dam had been smashed open, tears began streaming down his face. His hands tightly closed around the box, crushing it and the gloves inside as he cuddled it to his chest. "I-is this what it's like? Is this w-what it-it's always like for you and L-L-Lovino and Michelle and-and everyone who-who have to touch people? Is this h-how it's going to be like forever? E-every time I touch someone it-it hurts! It always h-hurts!" He moved a hand in front of his face to view it and now that it was brought to light the others noticed the far too many cuts and faded bruises littered along his fingers, palm and wrist. He could barely see the injuries through his tears but the reminder they were there made his sobs louder. "I don't want this to be fo-forever! I-I'm sorry for what I did! I'm sorry! I don't want to hurt anymore!" He abruptly stood and ran off, somehow managing to avoid the numerous people through his tear filled vision.

The four abandoned teens stared after him, nothing but shock written across their faces in three different coloured markers. They turned to each other as if to assess their visages and see who among them was the most dumbstruck. Several long minutes pasted as each patron picked up their bearings and slowly overcame their astonishment. Ultimately, it was Alfred who broke the heavy uncomfortable silence.

"Dude." He shook his head and fixed the Prussian with the most unimpressed stare he could manage. "I've lost any respect I've had for you."

"You had respect for him in the first place?" Martin supplied in a dry monotone.

"Thanks for backing me up, bro."

"Anytime."

Without looking at each other they threw their hands out and high-fived.

Gilbert glared at him, vexed at first. "I didn't do anything! He just—" A memory, ill-timed, ill-received, ill-everything, jumped to life; a memory from that very morning when he had talked with his deranged younger sibling. His words, pained and slow yet somehow light with laughter, flew across his mind like a kite trapped in a storm.

'_He's useless without me, that Feliciano. While I'm here you have to watch him, make sure he doesn't do anything…Feliciano would do. Don't give me that look. I would do the same for Matthew, if you asked._

'…_Please.'_

Unwarranted, Gilbert's eyes flickered over to his boyfriend and for a fleeting moment he imagined himself and Matthew being in the exact same position as Ludwig and Feliciano and he understood. For just a fleeting moment his mind went over everything his brother had done for the Italian and it told him he would have done the same for Matthew.

Of course when that moment was over those thoughts were promptly beat up, spat upon, and thrown away, being far too unawesomely sappy to be in his mind at all. Growling, Gilbert stood and ran in the direction Feliciano had gone.

The three watched him go until he had also disappeared before they turned to blink at each other. "…Does anyone know what all that was about?" Martin finally asked. Being the only one there unaware of abilities existence he was probably the most confused out of everyone. The twins exchanged side ways glances, mapping out their next course of action in the two seconds their eyes met. They began gathering their belongings.

"Maybe we should maul it over at home."

"I dunno but what Feli needs is a total hero right now!"

Okay, so maybe they weren't always on the same page.

Before Alfred had the chance to dash off like the hero he thought he was Matthew held him by the arm. "Alfred, no. Gilbert can handle it let's go home."

Dropping the bag back to the ground Alfred looked to his brother incredulously. "He gave Feliciano gloves, Mattie. _Gloves! _C'mon! That's basically telling him he's going to end up like a freak like him for the rest of his life! Do you _really_ want his worst nightmare to be the one to comfort him?"

"Nightmare? But that's so…" Matthew sighed, not sure how to describe it. Feliciano did look pretty broken up and Gilbert wasn't exactly what one would call sensitive. Should he just let him go…?

Alfred shifted his position to get more comfortable, but mistaking it as him trying to make a mad dash Matthew's grip on him automatically tightened. Alfred didn't need to leave him right now, Feliciano was fine with Gilbert. He was fine.

Alfred cried out and clawed at the hand that was squeezing him a little too tight. "Ow! _Mattie! _Alright I'm sorry, let me go!"

Realizing he was hurting him Matthew quickly obeyed. "S-sorry!" He apologized as Alfred rubbed his sore arm.

"J-jeez bro…" Pouting, he received his phone. "Can I at least text him? Jeez…" Though he had asked permission he didn't wait for Matthew to answer before he began composing his message, muttering about hate crimes committed against his heroic nature all the while.

Martin laughed jovially. "Thanks for the show, Matt. If I'm lucky this happy memory will ease the physical pain of studying." He visibly shivered at the mere thought of the long hours of studying before him. "Yeah. I should go and start doing that or something…" Martin made sure he got an acknowledging wave from both blonds before he stood and left.

After sending the text and pocketing the device Alfred grabbed his school bag and stood. He took a moment to stretch out his limbs, having been seated far too long, before mentioning for his brother to follow his example. "Well whatcha waiting for? C'mon!"

Confused but obedient Matthew stood and patted the dirt and grass from his pants. "Where are we going?"

"Where you said we should go, _home_." Alfred rolled his eyes before he starting walking in the right direction. "Its like aliens stole half your brain Mattie, gawd!"

Matthew pouted at the insult as he matched his pace. "There are no such things as aliens."

"Course there are! Where do you think 3-D movies come from? Alien technology! The government tries but they can never keep it hidden forever!"

Matthew couldn't help but roll his eyes. "The guy that invented 3-D was—"

"A secret agent! Or, wait, he would probably be dead right now if that was right. Mm, 'kay, maybe he doesn't even exist! He's a hologram! A hologram they made to give us 3-D! Cause even they couldn't keep something so awesome to themselves!"

"Wouldn't 3-D have to be invented before holograms?"

"_No!_ Or, wait…maybe but that doesn't matter cause they already had the technology from the aliens, aren't you listening?"

"Unfortunately."

"Oh, c'mon! You're lucky I—hey! Mattie wait up!" Alfred moved into a light jog to try and keep up his brother. Seeing as his fast walk wasn't enough to keep the distance between them anymore Matthew also broke into a jog.

"I'm fine over here without your theories, okay?"

"Dammit Matt stop being so cheeky!"

Matthew laughed and quickened his pace. Alfred was the faster runner of the two so it was only a matter of time before he caught up but until then he would see just how far he could—

Like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head Matthew realized where he was running to and froze in his tracks. Amidst all the useless banter—banter he blankly noted was fairly normal for the two—he had somehow slipped back into his usual routine. How he did not notice before was beyond him but now, now everything was clear. He was going home.

Running directly back to

Arthur.

Just the thought of his step father made his heart quicken, his lungs harder to fill and unexplainable goose bumps to run up his spine. He wasn't sure what he was thinking. Where did he think he was going to go after classes were over? Back to Uncle Ox's? Berwald had said nothing about picking him up and he had no idea how to get there via public transport. He had just assumed and now his oversight made home the only option.

His clothes suddenly had weight and he was trapped; rooted to his spot by the harsh rays from above.

N-no. _No!_

Today was suppose to be normal, he had sworn his life on it! How could this had happened? Was it really all his fault?

What did he _do_ to make her like that?

Why couldn't you make _sense_?

Liz…Elizabeta…?

Alfred caught up to him quick and enclosed him in a bear hug from behind. Matthew, now mentally and physically contained, panicked though oblivious to Matthew's inner turmoil, Alfred assumed he was still joking around.

"_Aha!_ No one can outrun the hero that is Alfred F. _Me!_" He had proclaimed this as hero-quese as he could but the only response he got was Matthew's horror manifested into three words: "_Let me go!_"

"_Nope!_ I caught you so now you're my slave forever!" He hoisted Matthew off the group and hobbled a few clumsy steps towards their home. "You can start making me burgers when we get back."

Matthew's shrieks and pleads for freedom intensified with each step though it wasn't until he flung his head back and nearly hurt him did Alfred respond to his behaviour. "_Hey—!_ I caught you square and fair! Quit being such a sore loser!"

"_I don't wanna go home!_"

Alfred let him go and, surprised, Matthew fell to the sidewalk in an undignified mess. "Oh shi—! Mattie!" Alfred quickly helped hoist the other back on his feet, astonished that he had even fallen in the first place. His relaxes weren't usually so lax. "You okay?"

Matthew simply nodded, ignoring the faint stinging on his hands and backside. In a quieter, more embarrassed tone, he repeated himself. "I don't want to go home."

Alfred tilted his head, puzzled at his words. He attempted to make eye contact but Matthew's meek nature had reared its head once more, forcing his stare on his shoes. "…Let's go get some pizza! They have a special today—"

"No, I…" Matthew stopped him, unsure. He felt the need to explain himself for reasons unknown. "It's…its Arthur…"

That one name was all he needed to get his older twin to understand. Alfred shifted his feet around uselessly, knowing the atmosphere between them was no longer playful despite his oblivious nature. "Listen Matt I…" He trailed off and licked his lips, gathering his thoughts. He wasn't the type that planed out his words or actions but with his little brother, especially as of late, he tried to be careful. "You…don't have to face dad if you don't want to. Well, you'll probably have to _see_ him but you don't have to talk to him when we get home. You don't…you don't even have to do anything! You can hole yourself in your room and I'll tell dad not to do anything until _you_ want to so, so…" He began to feel as if he was bargaining so he changed his approach. "You don't have to worry about anything. I'll protect you even if that means beating up dad! Plus, we have to study and stuff, right? Dad won't bother us if we're studying so it's all good, right?"

Matthew opened his mouth to reply. "…" He closed his eyes and exhaled, though it did nothing to calm his thoughts. When Yao had told them about the black he made it sound as if it was only transferable via touch. He had gained Arthur's black just by looking at him. Facing Arthur after he had learned of his secret was the least of his worries; it was looking at him he was afraid of. What was he suppose to do about that? Would Yao know? Would she know? Would _anyone_ know?

Alfred took hold of Matthew's wrist, gaining his attention. He smiled, trying to assure him that he knew what he was doing, that he was a hero and because he was a hero everything was going to be alright. He took a few slow steps forward, ceasing when he noticed Matthew was not following suit. He tugged on Matthew's arm, in no way trying to force him to do anything he didn't want; just a small, helpful pull in the right direction. A form of physical advice meant to aid with his indecision.

To Matthew however, that small tug might as well have been someone hijacking his body all over again.

"_NO!"_ He wrenched his arm free and took off running down the nearest street that led away from their destination.

"_MATTIE!" _Alfred cried though it did nothing to stop him. He turned his head skyward and groaned, cussing everything and nothing as he gave chase. "Dammit why does everyone run _away _from the hero?"

* * *

**I'm afraid that from this point on updates will be very sporadic. I'll be rather busy in the next few months with work and getting ready for collage and whatnot so I won't have much time to write. Or maybe I will, it's usually when I'm supposed to be busy that I tune out everything and write pst.**

**I feel like I'm writing Alfred and Gilbert too similar. Ha, I should just write a scene where Matthew comments on this and than he and Alfred stare meaningfully into each others eyes and—oh God no. No, no no no no no no! Oh no, I have to go take a shower now. _GAH THE IMAGES!_**

**Thank you **TinaBanina96, moonlightgaia123, Don'tMessWithAFangirl, Chelseaj500, fan girl 666, TreesAndCheese, xIkuna, Odisdera-kun, fluffymagentajellyfish, Ashe-Kuro, Neeky-chan, Ayla The Librarian, Rainstorm-Mosspath, Leafy Savanna Chan, ElectricMomo, Kaitou-Eileen, xGreySkiesx, lalalalala, fallendeHimmel, Zaabeth **and **jennamonster** for the reviews!**

**Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed and please leave a bit of feedback telling me what you think! ^^**


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